Spellbinding
by Robin the Crossover Junkie
Summary: The sequel to Buffychick's "Twice Called" is finally finished! Willow's magic plays a key role in the fate of the world!
1. Prologue: The Dream

Prologue  
  
  
Willow was in a field. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon to the East, and the grassy knolls seemed to stretch on forever to the West. There were no flowers or trees in the field, just lush green grass blades stretching on for what could have easily been miles. No roads in sight, and she didn't really know how she'd gotten there.  
  
The sky was blue, with no evidence of clouds, puffy white or otherwise. The day was clear in its beginning, and looked to be about to remain clear. Willow looked around, shielding her eyes slightly from the brightness of the sun. She knew she should be worried, since she had appeared in the field out of nowhere, and there didn't seem to be anyway home, but all she felt was a blissful calm. That, and power.  
  
The power in this place was vastly immense. It flowed through her in waves, it seemed, and she could feel magic tingling in her fingertips. The power both jazzed her and calmed her.  
  
Of course! It was a dream. That had to be it. After all, in real life, there weren't any fields like this that didn't end. In real life, you didn't magically appear in said nonexistent field at dawn, and in real life you didn't wear white flowing gowns of gauze. And straw sandals. And in real life, straw sandals hurt your feet a lot more.  
  
So Willow was dreaming. Of an endless field. Interesting. So...what was the dream going to be about?  
  
In answer to her unspoken question, the sun suddenly dipped back below the horizon, leaving her in the dark. The air immediately grew cool, and a strong wind began to gust, causing her gauzy skirt to billow around her calves in earnest. Rain began to pelt at her, the drops thick and hard, pounding into her head and arms. She began to look for shelter, knowing she wouldn't find any. But in front of her when she turned around was a tiny gray wooden shack. She knew that the gray color came from age, and that the shack probably wasn't much safer than being in the rain, but she was getting cold, and the rain was hurting her pale skin. She quickly slipped the heavy door open and stepped gingerly inside. Tara was standing in the middle of the room, wearing a long red robe. The sleeves hung to the floor, and the neck was high, so it covered everything but her head. She stood stonily, no emotion on her face.  
  
"Tara? Baby?" Willow said shakily, the sight of her girlfriend so quiet unsettling her. Well, Tara wasn't exactly a chatterbox, but when Willow came into the room, she tended to perk up a little, and this kind of quiet wasn't really normal, because normally Tara's silence wasn't so...loud. "Look at me, I even babble in my dreams," Willow muttered under her breath. She looked at Tara again, waiting.  
  
"You are not one," Tara said. Only it didn't sound like Tara. It sounded like three or four Taras. Not quite an echo, because the voices were all in unison. It was strange.  
  
"I...yes I am, Baby. There's only one of me. See? One Willow!" Willow replied, laughing nervously.  
  
"You are many."  
  
"I-I am?"  
  
"You soul will be bound."  
  
"Well, I should hope so, because, you know, we've all seen what can happen when someone loses their soul!" Willow was getting nervous. What was the meaning of this dream, anyway? Willow usually had bunny dreams! Or at least Tara dreams, but those were really private. Her cheeks warmed just thinking about them. Then she remembered that THIS was a dream, and Tara knew all her Tara-dreams anyway. She shook her head, clearing it.  
  
came the booming collective voice of a thousand Tara's, only it was distorted, and Tara's mouth didn't move. Suddenly, the shack, the field, the night sky, everything disappeared. Willow was suddenly alone, floating in the night sky. Only it wasn't the night sky, because there were no stars, no moon, nothing. Just blackness.  
  
said the voices again, and Willow suddenly felt as if she were being shattered into a tiny million pieces as her skin began to crack. Blue light pulsed form the sudden rivers in her skin, and she screamed in pain as the pieces broke apart and she exploded.  
  
  
  
Willow shot up in bed, gasping for air. Tara immediately shot up beside her, concern covering her sleepy face.   
  
"Willow? Honey? You okay?" Tara said gently, rubbing her back. Willow continued to pant, remembering every vivid detail of her dream perfectly. Especially the pain she felt when her body exploded. 


	2. Business Call

Chapter One  
  
  
Willow walked into the Magic Shop, her hair bouncy, her clothes cheery and her smile bright. Of course, her little façade did nothing to fool her friends. Buffy looked up.  
  
"Hey, Will. What's wrong?" She said, light concern edging her voice.  
  
"Oh, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Or any at all."  
  
"You and Tara have a wild and crazy night of...spells?" Xander chimed in, adding the last word as he remembered Dawn was in the room. Dawn just rolled her eyes.  
  
"No, we didn't do any...spells last night. Or spells," Willow replied with a tired smirk.  
  
"Then what's with the eye-circles?" Buffy replied.  
  
"I was having weird dreams," Willow said, sitting down next to Dawn.  
  
"What kind of dreams?" Xander asked.  
  
"Well, there was just the one. And it was kind of a nightmare."  
  
"Were there bunnies?" Anya piped up from behind the cash register. Everyone stared at her for a moment, and she chewed on her lip, going back to counting the amount of money in the drawer. "Well, she SAID it was a nightmare," she muttered under her breath.  
  
"What kind of nightmare?" Giles asked curiously, entering from the back, where he had heard the end of the conversation.  
  
"Well, I was in a field. It was really pretty, and there was magic there." She paused.  
  
"That doesn't sound so bad," Dawn said.  
  
"Well, then it started to rain, and there was wind and it was dark...and then I went into this little shack. And Tara was there, only it wasn't really Tara. Whatever it was, it was speaking THROUGH Tara, you know?" As Willow spoke, Buffy's mind flicked to the dream she'd had a few years ago, which she still remembered in full detail, where the First Slayer had tried to kill them in their sleep. She shook off the memory, and continued listening to the redhead.  
  
"And it told me that I had to be ready, that my time was coming. And then I...sort of went...kablooey..."  
  
"Kablooey?" Dawn asked, her eyebrows raised?  
  
"Well, I exploded. It was scary."  
  
"That's quite a dream, Wills," Buffy said. "Do you think it means anything?"  
  
"Well, I don't exactly have prophetic dreams like you do, Buffy. I'm sure it was nothing."  
  
"Well, I wouldn't be too rash in making that assumption, Willow," Giles said, putting a book back on the shelf. "In fact, it's very likely that something is about to happen, and we should all be ready."  
  
All eyes turned to Giles. He simply looked back. "Well, I, uh, I've been doing some research lately," he began, but Xander interrupted him.  
  
"Because God knows you don't do ENOUGH research for fun," he said. He visibly withered under Giles' scathing glare. "Sorry."  
  
Giles nodded. "As I was saying, I've done some research. It seems the forces of the Hellmouth are stirring up again." Before any of the others could interrupt with another sarcastic comment, he continued. "And it seems they're all looking for a book."  
  
"Want me to stake out the library?" Buffy asked innocently. Giles sent her a withering glance as well, and Buffy promptly shut her mouth.  
  
"I'm not sure, exactly, what kind of book it is, or why they're looking for it, but with a little more research, we should know more."  
  
"So we're breaking out the stuffy books?" Buffy said sadly. Giles' glare quieted her again. "I'll just call Angel and tell him we WON'T be getting together this weekend, then..." she said quietly.  
  
"Oh, did you have plans with Angel again?" Giles said.  
  
"Of course they had plans, Giles," Anya said. "Buffy gets together with Angel every weekend. It's amazing that they can be together and not have sex. I know if I couldn't have sex with Xander..."  
  
"And that's more than our friends want to know about our sex life, An," Xander stopped her.  
  
"Well, I was just saying..."  
  
"And now you're not." The rest of the scoobies just looked on in amusement.  
  
The phone rang suddenly, breaking into the silence shrilly. Anya picked it up quickly.  
  
"Magic Box! All your Occult needs under one beautifully crafted roof!" The scoobs glanced at her, amused. "Oh. It's you. Yes, she's here. All right. But don't tie up the line. We could have actual customers calling us." She held out the phone to Buffy. "Angel."  
  
"Ooh!" Buffy said happily, jumping up to pick up the phone. Willow watched her, a smile on her face. Buffy was so much happier since she'd come back, since her and Angel had decided to stay together, even though he remained in L.A. with Faith. They fought evil there, and Buffy fought evil in Sunnydale. They usually met up on weekends.  
  
"Hey," Buffy said softly into the phone, the smile not leaving her lips.  
  
"Hey," Angel said back.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Well, Cordy had a vision."  
  
"Uh oh. Business call?"  
  
"Yeah. Sorry."  
  
"No, it doesn't matter, Angel. At least I get to hear your voice." In the background, Dawn made gagging motions with her hand. Buffy rolled her eyes at her sister.  
  
"Anyway, she saw a cave, and Willow doing some magic, and then Willow just...exploding."  
  
Buffy halted, the smile leaving her face immediately. Giles moved toward her, concern lining his already-weathered face.  
  
"Buffy?" Angel said.  
  
"I-I'm here. It's just...did you say exploding?"  
  
"Yeah. As soon as it gets dark, we're going to come down to Sunnydale. Okay?"  
  
"Okay. Bring Wes' books," Buffy said, remembering that Giles would want research tools.  
  
"Got it. See you in a few hours?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"I love you," Angel said softly, his voice showing the awe of being allowed to say it to her again, after they'd thought she'd be gone forever.  
  
"Love you back," Buffy replied, her voice containing the awe at being allowed to tell him that even after he'd left two years ago.  
  
"Tell Buffy she's got a nice ass!" Faith said from behind Angel, loudly enough so that Buffy would hear her. Both Angel and Buffy rolled their eyes.  
  
"See you tonight," Buffy said, before hanging up the phone. She turned to Willow, who had turned as white as a ghost the moment Buffy said "exploding"."  
  
"Cordy had a vision," Buffy told the group.  
  
"Am I going to get blown up?" Willow asked weakly. 


	3. The Gang's All Here

"No," Buffy said determinedly. "Nobody's going to be blown up. Angel's bringing the gang in L.A., and they're bringing Wesley's books. We're going to research whatever's happening, and we're going to take care of it."   
"Just to be on the safe side, Willow, perhaps you should inform me of the more specific details of your dream last night," Giles said from his perch beside one of the bookshelves.   
"And the rest of us will start the book learnin'," Xander piped in.   
Buffy went to stand next to Willow. She placed a comforting hand on her redheaded friend's arm, and looked into her eyes. "We will stop this from happening, whatever it is. I promise." The two girls embraced in a hug, then Buffy pulled back slightly. A wicked grin began to form on her face.   
"What?" Willow asked.   
"Well, I was just thinking, you know, I haven't paid a visit to Willy the Snitch lately," Buffy said mischievously.   
"Ooh! You gonna draw blood?" Xander said, an excited grin on his face. The other scoobies stared at him. "What? The guy owes me twelve bucks!"   
"He has money for you?" Anya piped up. "Well, go, Buffy! Beat him senseless! Mash his face into a bloody, disgusting, painful lump of mush! Break his legs! Pull out his teeth! Do that Chinese torture thing! Not the water one, because that one doesn't work NEARLY as well as people say it does. You should do the one where you drill a hole in his stomach, and then you get some pliers, and then you..." She stopped, seeing that everyone was staring at her. "What? He has money for Xander!"   
Buffy turned to Xander, who was looking at Anya with a mix of horror and amusement. "Your girlfriend has a serious problem. You should get her help. However, I fully intend to beat up Willy. Not nearly as graphically and violent as Anya would like, but he's going to be hurting in the morning." She smiled again. "I'll wait for Angel, though. It's been even longer since we've had a beat-up-Willy-for-business-AND-pleasure date."   
Anya grumbled from the cash register. "Sure, Buffy can take pleasure from making people hurt, but just because I have a little more questionableness in my past, everyone thinks I need psychoanalytic therapy," she muttered.   
Buffy smirked at her again. Then she turned back to Willow. "You tell Giles about your dream, and we'll start looking through the books for, um, exploding witches."   
Giles sat next to Willow, a notebook in his hand to take down the details of Willow's nightmare, and the rest began to research and wait for Angel, Faith, Welsey, Cordelia, Gunn, and more books.   
Dawn lifted her head, and stretched a little, looking around at the people sitting in various places in the little shop. A summer afternoon, and she was sitting in a musty old occult store, reading stuffy, boring old books. She was fifteen! She should have been out, hanging around boys, shopping with girlfriends, even tanning! But here she was, reading yucky old books. She smiled. She didn't really mind. I mean, who of her friends could say they helped to save the world on a regular basis? Well, not that she could say it either, but she knew it. And no one else's big sister got to be dead twice and live to tell about it. Dawn figured, for a teenager, she had it pretty good.   
Dawn stretched and started back to work. Suddenly, Xander slammed the musty book he'd been reading shut, causing everyone in the quiet store to jump.   
"Nothing! We don't even know what we're looking for!" He cried in frustration. Willow continued to look forlorn as she went back to her book.   
"We mustn't give up, Xander," Giles admonished. "Perhaps when Cordelia can tell us more about her vision, then we'll be able to know what we're looking for. For now, we'll just have to read and see if anything sounds familiar."   
"Why don't we just do a Lorasian Mind Melt?" Anya piped up from her corner.   
"What?" Buffy said, one eyebrow arching.   
"Like Spock?" Xander said, suddenly excited.   
"Not a Mind Meld, although that would be interesting. A Mind Melt," Anya explained.   
"Oh, no, Missy. No one's going to melt my mind. I like my mind solid, thank you very much," Willow sputtered, backing away.   
"Oh, it's not as gruesome as it sounds. It's metaphorical. You use it to enter the dream world and extract more information from whatever sent you the prophetic dream."   
"Yes, Anya. I believe I have that spell. Let me just..." Giles spoke as he pulled a book from the shelf, and began leafing through it.   
"You know, Giles, you seem to have a lot of really handy spells in your little store, here," Buffy said, smiling.   
"Well, one never knows," Giles said absently. "Ah! Here it is! Lorasian Mind Melt. A fairly simple spell. Willow would be under a trance, and could walk through the dream world. There, she could ask any questions she wanted to find out more about her dream."   
"And it's that simple? No...no bad things in my head?" Willow finished lamely.   
"If you're asking if anything from your nightmares will be able to harm you, the answer is no. You will be an ethereal spirit in the world. Solid only to those you wish to be seen by," Giles replied.   
"So, Willow goes into a trance, finds out why she had the dream, and then what?" Buffy said, warming to the idea.   
"Well, then we'll know what the dream meant, and we'll be able to do something to stop Willow's impending doom," Giles said.   
"Please don't say 'impending doom,'" Willow said meekly. "Impending means unstoppable. I don't want it to be unstoppable."   
"We'll stop it, Will," Buffy replied quickly. She turned back to Giles. "When can we cast the spell?"   
"Well, right now seems just as good a time as any," he said, looking out the window. I was dark outside. As if on cue, Spike strode through the doorway.   
"What, am I late for the party?" he asked, noting the assembled troops.   
"Willow had a prophetic nightmare where she exploded," Anya informed him. "Then Cordelia had a vision in L.A. that she really did explode."   
At Anya's first words, Spike had raised an interested eyebrow, but at the mention of L.A., he had immediately feigned disinterest. "L.A.?" he said nonchalantly.   
"Oh, please, Spike. You're easier to see through than glass. Yes, Faith's coming," Buffy said, rolling her eyes. When Faith, Dawn, and Angel had brought her back from the dead, Spike and Faith had formed a relationship. Of course, both were too headstrong to compromise, and Faith had wanted to live in L.A., while Spike had wanted to live anywhere Angel wasn't. They'd split up, of course, even though both still had feelings for the other, despite the fact that they constantly bickered.   
"Don't care," Spike protested.   
"Save it, Spike," Xander said quickly, all but ignoring the vampire.   
"Well, I don't," Spike muttered.   
"You know, when you act like a sullen child, it's really hard to think of you as formerly evil," Buffy piped up cheerily.   
"Said the most petulant infant the world has ever laid eyes upon," Spike growled back.   
"In all my years, never before have I encountered two people who bicker senselessly as much as you two do. Do stop it," Giles scolded.   
"She started it," Spike whined.   
"And I'm going to un-start it," Angel said, as he strode in through the door.   
"Angel!" Buffy squeaked happily, and ran to him. They embraced, holding tightly to one another for a few moments. Just after Angel, Cordelia, then Wesley, Gunn, and finally Faith all entered the shop, which seemed to shrink in size due to both the sheer size of the new men in the room as well as the huge personalities of the new women. Greetings wer exchanged quickly, with Spike and Faith saying not a word to each other.   
"Well, the gang's all here!" Xander said from his corner.   
"Good. Now, let's get set up for this spell," Giles replied.   
"Spell?" Wesley asked, ears perking at the thought of doing some magic. Working with Angel had many perks, but one downfall was the fact that he had few chances to work on his spell-casting abilities.   
"Yes. We, uh, we're doing a Lorasian Mind Melt," Giles told him.   
"Like Spock?" Gunn said skeptically. Xander jumped up, a triumphant smile on his face.   
"See? I'm not the only one!" Then he turned to Gunn. "Thank you."   
"Uh...sure."   
"It's not a Mind Meld, it's a Mind Melt. It will help Willow to learn the origins and meanings of her dream," Anya said, moving to stand near Xander.   
"Ah," Gunn said, understanding.   
Giles, Wesley, and Willow set up the spell in silence, while Cordelia informed the others of the details of her vision.   
"Willow was like, flying in this cave somehow, and totally zapping lightning bolts out of her hands. I think she was fighting something. And then she just sort of, like, blew up."   
"That's it?" Buffy said, slightly frustrated.   
"Well, it's not like I get an instant replay. Just little flashes. Like, hints."   
"Right. Sorry."   
"We're uh, we're ready, I believe," Wesley said from his spot near the center of the floor, where he was lighting a candle.   
"Now, Willow, you just lie down, here, on the floor, and we'll put you under the trance. It will be as if you're sleeping, only your mind will be clear and you will be able to move through your subconscious at will," Giles said. Willow laid down on the floor, and relaxed.   
The group watched from their place on the upper landing as Wesley and Giles recited the spell. Suddenly, Willow's body went rigid and raised a few inches off the floor. Then her entire body started to glow a soft pink.   
"Is that supposed to happen? Is that normal?" Gunn asked, slightly wigged. He wasn't used to seeing magic.   
"You should see when she does the telepathy thing," Dawn piped up. 


	4. Dream World

Willow was in the middle of the field again. Only this time it wasn't the same field. This one had a lake, and trees. And this time she was sitting on a blanket, not standing, although she was still wearing that white dress.   
She looked over and noticed that Giles and Tara were sitting next to her.   
"Hey! What are you guys doing here? I thought I was supposed to do this alone?" Willow said, slightly confused. "Not that I'm not happy to see you!"   
"We aren't your Giles and Tara. We're just manifesting ourselves that way to seem more recognizable to you," said Tara.   
"You see, in order to find what it is that you're looking for, you're going to need knowledge and heart. To you, Giles and Tara signify knowledge and heart respectively," Giles added.   
"Oh. Okay. So are you going to tell me what I have to do?"   
"You already know," Tara told her.   
"Oh. Right. That whole thing where I have to ask questions and then I find out why I had that dream." Willow sighed heavily. "So do I ask you guys?"   
"That could be the wisest course of action for the moment," Giles replied.   
"For someone who isn't Giles, you sure do sound a lot like him," Willow said under her breath. "Okay, then. Why did I have that dream?"   
"Because it was sent to you," Tara said.   
"By who?"   
"By the Powers That Be," Giles replied. They were taking turns answering her, it seemed.   
"Why did they send me the dream?"   
"Because you have to be prepared."   
"Is my dream going to come true?"   
"Only if you let it."   
"Why would I blow up?"   
"Because someone wants to get rid of you."   
"Get rid of me? But I'm innocent! Big honkin' innocent girl, here! Why would they want to get rid of me?"   
"Because of what you are."   
"But I'm just me. What is it about me that this person wants to get rid of?"   
"Your power."   
"My power? You mean, my magic?"   
"Yes and no."   
"Well, that was cryptic. What do you mean?"   
"You have to find out for yourself."   
"What CAN you tell me?"   
"That you must look at your background. And heed the words of the Kahimi."   
"The Kahimi? You mean the vampire that helped us bring Buffy back? Which words?"   
"She told you something. You can't remember it here. But you will when you awaken."   
"So when I wake up, I'll remember what she said, and I'll know what the dream meant?"   
"Not exactly. You won't remember this dream, at all. You'll wake up remembering only that the Kahimi said those words to you, and you'll find the truth on your own."   
"How do you know I'll find it?"   
"Because it is written."   
"Another prophecy?"   
"Only one of many."   
"Great. Just great. I mean, it isn't enough that I have to explode, but it has to be prophesized? Why do I have to have a prophecy? I'm not the Slayer, or the Champion, or the Twice Called, or the Key. I'm just a witch."   
"You are more than that. You are the Power."   
"The who?"   
"I'm afraid your time is up, here."   
"I'm the who? The Power? What does that mean?"   
Suddenly, though, both Giles and Tara had vanished, and the field they'd been sitting in began to be pelted by a heavy downpour.   
"Not again!" Willow groaned, running into the little shack that appeared to her left.   
Tara was not inside this time, though. Instead, Angel, Buffy, Faith and Dawn sat in a circle, surrounded by candles. They were all chanting some foreign language in unison, their voices carrying strongly on the wind.   
"Guys?" Willow asked them gently. "What are you doing?"   
"Waiting for you, Willow," Buffy said, turning to face her.   
"For me?" Willow squeaked.   
"You need to do the spell, Willow. Before he gets here," Dawn piped up.   
"What spell?"   
"The binding spell," Faith said.   
"Hey, no, I saw The Craft, and I know what happens when you do a binding spell. Bad things. You think you bind someone, but they aren't bound. I'm not doing any binding spells."   
"You have to do it, Willow," Angel told her. "Quickly."   
"We're running out of time!" Buffy yelled.   
"Do it now!" Faith screamed over the suddenly howling winds.   
"It's too late," Dawn said, calmly, and suddenly all was quiet. Then Willow was in nothingness again, and she knew what was about to happen. Before she could do anything, though, her body suddenly shattered into millions of tiny fragments.   
Willow jumped up, her body shaking in a cold sweat. Her friends had crowded around her.   
"Are you okay, Will?" Xander asked.   
"Sweetie?" Tara gently took her hand. Willow took a deep breath.   
"What do you remember from your dream? Did you find out why you had it?" Wesley asked.   
"No," Willow said miserably. "But I had another one."   
"Was it the same one?" Buffy asked.   
"No. It was a little different. I don't really remember it. All I know is that Buffy, Angel, Dawn and Faith were sitting in a circle, chanting something. And then you guys kept telling me that I needed to do a spell, and that it was too late, and then suddenly I exploded. Again." The last words were said sullenly.   
"So the spell didn't really work?" Giles said, disappointed.   
"No, I guess not. But I just remembered something."   
"What is it?" Angel asked her.   
"The Kahimi. When she was here a year ago, she said that I had a strong line of witches in my family."   
"So?" Cordelia replied.   
"Well, when she said that, I checked out my family, and NONE of them had any powers. Not a single one had even performed a glamour, or floated a pencil, or anything."   
"I'm not understanding what this has to do with anything," Buffy said.   
"Well, I'm just saying, Why did I suddenly think of this now? Maybe it's related?"   
"Perhaps we should look a little more into the origin of magic, then?" Wesley said excitedly. Gunn glanced at him before turning to the rest of the group.   
"Angel, can you get in touch with the Kahimi and find out what she meant, maybe?"   
"No, she's on a sabbatical. Has been since she left here. She's decided no one is to contact until she contacts them. Something about waiting for a prophecy."   
"A prophecy?" Xander said sullenly. "Another one?"   
"Prophecy?" Willow echoed, deep in thought. "I think we should look into that. I think there might have been something in my dream..."   
"Right, then. We'll start researching any prophecies that are coming to pass any time soon, and researching perhaps Willow's power and its origins," Giles said.   
"Angel and I will go pay a visit to Willy," Buffy said. Angel smiled.   
"We haven't seen Willy in ages," he told her. She leaned up and kissed him, then turned back to the group.   
"Spike, I want you and Faith to go around and check out the local demon haunts and find out what you can about any prophecies or bad things coming to Sunnydale."   
"But..." both Faith and Spike protested in unison.   
"No 'but's. You two can get along for a few minutes. You can beat stuff up together. It'll be a real bonding experience," Buffy told them. The rest of you, research. We've got Angel's cell if you need anything, and Faith will take hers. Any questions?"   
No one said anything, so Buffy and Angel turned to leave the shop. "I love it when you take charge," Angel said, leaning down to speak in her ear. She wrapped her small hand in his, and they strode out together.   
Faith and Spike stared at each other for a moment. Then Faith turned on one heel and left the shop as well, and Spike, after a moment, growled lightly and followed her. Dawn watched this exchange, and as soon as the two had left the premises, let out a chuckle.   
The rest of the gang sat down and began to research. 


	5. The Prophecy

ppBuffy and Angel strode into the little bar, big smiles plastered across their faces. Upon entering, their jaws dropped to the floor. What had happened to Willy's?   
ppThe entire place was decorated in red velvet. The seats in the booths were clean and soft, and the tables had a new finish on them. The lamps in the room provided a soft glow, and the scent of fresh flowers wafted from vases in the center of every candle-lit table. Soft piano music drifted through the room, and both Angel and Buffy were rooted to the paisley-print carpet. Then they saw Willy behind the bar, wearing, of all things, a dark red tuxedo. With tails. His hair was slicked back nicely, and if he wasn't such a sleazeball, Buffy would have said he looked respectable. He glanced at the door and noticed them, then showed his true weaselly nature.   
pp "Slayer! Angel! How nice to see you in my humble establishment. I cleaned the place up! You like?" He said smoothly, though his voice was nervous.   
pp "How on earth...?" Buffy trailed off, looking around the room again.   
pp "Well," Willy said, "Some people, when they come to get information from me, they pay me. They don't always beat me up, unlike a couple of people who haven't even been around to visit their old pal Willy for what, two, three years?" He sounded indignant at the last part.   
pp "Pal?" Angel muttered. "Wouldn't really go that far." He shook his head, getting over the shock of seeing Willy's fancy new digs. "Speaking of information..."   
pp "Listen. I know you kids usually like to come and hammer me around a while before I give you the scoop, but I'm not looking to get this place trashed. I happen to like it. So I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what you want to know for a very, uh, reasonable offer."   
pp "And what's that, Willy?" Buffy said sweetly.   
pp "Well, I was thinking along the lines of... a thousand bucks?"   
ppAngel took a menacing step forward.   
pp "I'm glad you like to barter!" Willy said quickly, backing up a step. "Maybe a thousand is a little steep. Seven hundred?"   
ppBuffy stepped forward this time. "I don't even recall asking you a question, Willy," she said, still sounding sweet.   
pp "Oh! Uh, right. Sorry. It's just, that, I'm so used to you two coming in here to start something, I forget the pleasantries. What can I do for you?"   
pp "Well, since you seemed to be ready to give out information, I'm assuming you already know why we're here," Angel said. He took another step toward Willy. "Now, I'm a little short on cash here, and I promised my girl here a good show for our date, and I was thinking, you know, if you just give us what we want right now, then I won't have to rough you up in this lovely establishment you've built up here."   
pp "I love I when you talk rough," Buffy simpered from beside him.   
pp "Okay, okay!" Willy said, taking a few more steps back from Angel. "You're here about the prophecy, aren't you?" Buffy and Angel said nothing, neither wanting to tell Willy how much they really didn't know. Willy sighed. "The Witch. Your friend, the witch. She's got this whole, mystical power thing going on. With her soul and all. I'm sure you guys don't have the prophecy yet, or you wouldn't be here." He looked at them for a moment, then nodded knowingly. "Thought as much. Fine. All I know, is that the local demons, though most of them are moseying outta town, seem to think that your witchy friend is the hottest thing on the market. There are a few bounties on her head, but seeing as she's a real powerful witch, with two slayers, two vampires, and about ten other people looking out for her, she's not exactly the easiest target. Most of the demons in this town are doing their best to stay as far from her as possible."   
pp "Why are they after Willow?" Buffy said.   
pp "Because of the prophecy. I don't know the details, but there's a warlock out there, looking for a book. According to the prophecy, if he gets the book, everything goes to Hell, literally, of course, and he gets to be the ruler. Of course, if your friend gets to it first, she gets to do some spell, and the world is saved. For the last time."   
pp "The last time?" Angel said quietly.   
pp "Yeah. Well, not immediately, but her spell will cause something to happen, and that's going to eventually rid the world of all evil." He suddenly raised his hands in a defensive stance. "And before you ask, no, I don't know what's going to happen, or where the book is. It should all be in the prophecy, and I don't know where that is either."   
ppBuffy and Angel exchanged a look. Then they walked out together. Once on the street, where things were dingy, bleak, and messy like they were supposed to be, they began to get their bearings. They took a few steps, absorbing their new information, when Buffy suddenly stopped in her tracks.   
ppAngel ran back to her. "What is it, Love?" he asked, concerned.   
pp "Did we just let Willy push us around?" she asked incredulously. Angel thought about it for a moment.   
pp "Oh my God, we did." They stared at each other before quickly walking back into the bar. They both stalked straight to Willy, and Angel's fist flew out and caught the shady man right in the jaw. He landed on his butt with a thud, and Buffy smiled sweetly at him.   
pp "Thanks!" she said happily. Then she and Angel walked back into the night air, heading towards Giles' store to tell the gang what they knew. pp  
***********   
ppFaith stalked through the cemetery. Spike followed a few steps behind, taking a drag off his cigarette, his duster billowing in the wind. He would have walked beside her, but from that angle he couldn't see her walking away from him. And that was the best view he'd ever seen. Except, of course, seeing her naked. Which he'd seen plenty, but never tired of. So why had they broken up again?   
pp "Get your undead skinny white ass moving, Spike. I'm not waiting for you," Faith said rudely.   
ppOh yeah. She was a bitch.   
pp "Don't get your knickers in a twist, you twat," Spike said snidely. Faith whirled around to face him angrily.   
pp "Who said I was wearing knickers?" she said saucily, before whirling away and striding off again. Spike stared after for a moment, and with a low growl, both of lust and anger, started after her again.   
ppThey only got a few steps before a few vampires jumped out at them. Spike quickly counted five, then started with the fighting. He punched a vamp in the face, sending it flying.   
pp "Maybe you should start wearing a bra, though," Spike told her sarcastically. "Your jugglies are going to get all dangly." Although, upon closer inspection, they weren't at all dangly. They were anything but dangly. In fact, they were quite perky, and they pushed together just so... His inner musings and leering were interrupted rudely by a vamp's fist in his face. He snarled and reared up, backhanding the vamp and sending him flying.   
pp "Your parts aren't exactly all un-dangly all the time, either, Blondie," Faith shot back, glancing suggestively toward his lower body. She kicked one of the vampires in the face.   
pp "Well, nobody sucks the life out of a man's jolly like you do, you bint," Spike replied as he staked one of the vamps.   
pp "I seem to remember you liked my sucking," Faith said, raising an eyebrow as she staked another.   
ppSpike stopped, suddenly, looking at her. Then he shook his head and pulled his battle axe out from under his duster. Then he promptly beheaded one of the vamps. Two were left. In a flurry of kicks and punches, Faith quickly had one of them on the ground, and shoved her stake through his chest, and he was nothing more than dust on the wind. Spike threw the vamp he'd been fighting in her direction, and the two played a little game of ping pong by punching the demon. He was knocked between them for a few moments, when finally Faith caught him. "Nice playin with you, Fangface," she told him sweetly, before pushing him back at Spike, who had his stake ready. The vamp disintegrated between Faith and Spike, and they locked eyes for the first time since Angel and his crew had arrived at the store earlier that evening.   
ppWithout a word, the brunette and the vampire took the necessary steps to become locked in a tight embrace, their mouths pressed together passionately, tongues dueling. She wrapped one arm under his arm and around his shoulder, and the other hand threaded its fingers through his gelled hair. He pressed one hand against her back, and the other cupped her buttock. He took a few steps forward, pushing her back, until her back rested against a tree. She moaned into his mouth, and he purred, not taking his mouth from hers. pp  
***********   
pp "Well, that was a waste."   
pp "Still nothing?" Buffy asked as she and Angel walked into the shop.   
ppWillow nodded forlornly.   
pp "Don't worry, Willow. We managed to get some info from Willy the Snitch," Buffy said.   
pp "Really? What did Old Willy have to say?" Xander asked.   
pp "Did he give you money for Xander?" Anya cut in quickly.   
pp "Sadly, no. But he did give us information on an IMPORTANT PROPHECY," Buffy said, glaring at Anya. The ex-demon looked slightly chagrined.   
pp "What did you find out?" Giles replied.   
pp "There's a prophecy about Willow, and there are some people who would like to see it not fulfilled, basically."   
pp "So you mean, there's a prophecy about me blowing up, and people don't want it? But that's a good, right?"   
pp "Well, he didn't know what the prophecy was about. We still have to find it," Angel told them.   
pp "Well, at least we know we're looking for a prophecy," Gunn said, going back to his book.   
pp "Gah!!" Cordelia suddenly cried out. Angel was at her side before she was able to fall, though, and held her up while the vision sent her body into convulsions. When she stopped moving and opened her eyes, she glared at the ceiling. "So NOW you decide to be helpful?" she yelled at no one in particular. She shook her head, then walked over to a book shelf on the left. She reached for a large gray book with a dusty spine, and pulled it out. Then she handed it to Giles. "Check out page 563," she said, smiling sweetly.   
pp "That's the vision the Powers sent you?" Wesley asked, interested.   
pp "Apparently they want us to find this prophecy sooner rather than lately. Uh, thank you, Cordelia," Giles said thankfully, opening the book. He glanced over the pages, then sighed.   
pp "What?" Willow asked quickly. "What does it say?"   
pp "Well, I'm not really sure. In isn't exactly in English."   
pp "Oh, perfect," Xander muttered. "Then what language is it, G-man?"   
pp "I, uh, I couldn't really say. It's, er, unfamiliar to me," he replied, taking his glasses off and cleaning them with a handkerchief. Wesley stepped up to the book.   
pp "Do you recognize it, Wes?" Angel asked, also stepping forward to look at the pages.   
pp "No, I don't. It's rather an old language, though."   
ppAngel looked at the text for a minute before sighing audibly. "What?" Buffy asked him, stepping forward.   
pp "I recognize that," he said, waving at the page.   
pp "Then you can translate it?" Giles asked hopefully.   
pp "No. I don't know what the language is, or what it says. I recognize it, though."   
pp "From where?" Gunn replied.   
pp "Back when I first got my soul, and I was still with Darla, Spike, and Drusilla... Spike used to write me notes in this language. It was a joke. I'm sure he said some pretty crude things, but I never understood. He thought it was hilarious. He'd do it just to annoy me." Angel smiled faintly at the memory.   
pp "So Spike knows this language? He could translate it?" Wesley asked.   
pp "I think so," Angel replied.   
pp "Speaking of Spike... shouldn't he and Faith have been back by now?" Dawn asked innocently.   
ppThe group looked around, noting that neither Spike nor Faith had been seen for several hours.   
***********   
ppFaith flopped down and snuggled her head into Spike's cool, hard shoulder, one bare leg thrown carelessly across his bare thighs. She was breathing heavily, but a happy smile was on her flushed face.   
pp "Missed you, luv," Spike panted happily. Faith leaned up to kiss his lips again, the smile still on her face. The couple broke apart quickly and pulled the blankets on the bed up to their chins as the door to Spike's crypt was roughly thrown open. 


	6. The Warning

pp "So do you think they killed each other?" Buffy asked Angel playfully as they walked hand-in-hand through one of Sunnydale's fourteen cemeteries.   
pp "Well, I dunno. I mean, Spike has that chip, and Faith's been pretty good about killing people lately," Angel said, a small smile on his face.   
ppBuffy paused for a minute. "So do you think they killed each other?"   
pp "It's a distinct possibility," Angel admonished.   
pp "So do you think we have taken a broom with us?"   
pp "Oh, probably." pp  
******** pp  
pp "Bloody hell!" Shouted Spike as he leapt from the bed and pulled his jeans on. Faith grabbed her pants and shirt and joined him standing with lightning speed. "Who the hell do you think you are? You can't just go barging into a bloke's crypt like you own the place!"   
ppThe attacker raised a hand in a gesture to silence Spike. "You must listen, Vampire and Slayer," said the woman. She had long flowing black hair, and a serious expression on her face.   
pp "Like hell," Faith growled. "How about you must leave?"   
pp "Do you wish to live through the next weeks?" The woman said sharply.   
pp "That a threat, luv?" Spike purred menacingly.   
pp "I couldn't hurt you if I wanted to," the woman assured them. "But it isn't I you must worry about. There is another."   
pp "Who? This bastard that wants to blow up Willow?" Faith said, taking a step forward.   
pp "No. Willow." Then the woman was gone in a burst of smoke. Spike and Faith looked at each other in shock.   
pp "Quite an exit," Spike said after a moment.   
pp "What do you think she meant?" Faith replied.   
pp "Dunno. But I figure we'd better tell the Slayer and her cronies. The other Slayer," he added at her withering glare. She said nothing, only grabbed her denim jacket from the floor and stalked out the door. After a moment, Spike grabbed his shirt and duster, and ran out after her, muttering to himself, "Bugger."   
pp********   
ppBuffy and Angel continued their search for Faith and Spike. It was starting to get quite late, but they wanted to make sure the two wild canons were alive and not at each other's throats.   
pp "So why do you think they broke up?" Buffy asked Angel, her hand still tightly encased in his.   
pp "Well, they fought a lot," Angel said. "But you probably think there's something more?"   
pp "I know there is. I mean, sure, they fought, but that's just because the two of them will fight over anything with anyone."   
pp "It really isn't any of our business," Angel told her, squeezing her hand.   
pp "Well, I just think about them a lot. After everything that's happened, I consider them friends."   
pp "Well, maybe you should try to think about something else?" Angel stopped and turned Buffy to face him.   
pp "Oh yeah?" She replied, stepping closer to him. "What shall I think about then?"   
pp "How about me?"   
pp "I think that could be arranged," Buffy said, pressing her lips to his. They kissed languidly and lovingly for long minutes   
pp "Ah, ah, ah...Best be cooling your jets, kiddies, before dear Angel decides to suck the world into Hell AGAIN," Spike said, stepping out of the shadows. Angel and Buffy pulled apart with a sigh, then turned to face Spike and Faith. The animosity was dripping from the newcomers like honey. Buffy shot a knowing glance at Angel.   
pp "So, you two haven't killed one another yet?" Angel asked them   
pp "We only partook in a "little death", but I suppose..." Spike said cheekily. Faith smacked him.   
pp "Maybe YOU did, pig," she said quietly. Buffy's eyes shot open in shock, and Angel struggled to hold back a smirk. He knew fully well that Faith was lying, because he could smell the truth of their actions. Vampire senses were great for that sort of thing.   
pp "Best watch your tongue, Bitch, unless you want me to cut it out," Spike snarled.   
pp "Hey!" Buffy said sharply. "That's enough. Where were you guys?"   
ppSpike rolled his eyes. "We were in my crypt."   
pp "Well, thanks so much for doing the RESPONSIBLE thing and making sure no innocent victims were eaten by vampires," Buffy scolded.   
pp "Well, I wouldn't say no one was eaten by a vampire tonight, but it sure wasn't anyone innocent," Spike smirked again.   
pp "God, you're disgusting!" Buffy cried in frustration, while Faith hit Spike even harder. He rubbed absently at his arm, while Faith turned back to Buffy and Angel.   
pp "We had a visitor," she told them.   
pp "Who?" Angel asked her.   
pp "Don't know. She just busted into the crypt and told us we had to be careful, and that we had to listen or we'd die."   
pp "She threatened you?" Buffy asked.   
pp "No, she said we had to watch out for Willow," Faith replied.   
pp "Red getting PMS any time soon?" Spike asked. The other three sent him a withering glare. "What?"   
pp "Shut up, Spike," Buffy told him. She looked at Angel. "I wonder what she meant?"   
pp "I don't know. But we'd better get back to the shop. Sun's gonna come up soon."   
pp "Right," Buffy said. She turned to go back to the shop, with Angel, Faith, and Spike following after.   
pp "Hey, B," Faith said to her.   
pp "What?"   
pp "Next time I start making mooney eyes at the peroxide wonder over there, kick my ass, okay?" Angel held back a laugh.   
pp "No problem."   
pp********   
pp "So can you translate it?" Wesley asked Spike, as the blonde vampire, who read and re-read over the text.   
pp "Might take a little work. Haven't seen Ish'marhek in a while. Think I can do it, though."   
pp "So that's what language this is? Ish'marhek?" Giles asked him.   
pp "Just said that, Watcher. Now, all of you lot, I want you to bugger off so I can concentrate on this. 'Cept you, Watcher. Might need your help."   
ppEveryone grudgingly left the room, leaving Spike and Giles alone in the exercise portion of the store. Giles looked up expectantly. "So what do you need my help with? Can you translate the text or not?"   
pp "Bloody right, I can. Just didn't want to say what I read in front of the witch and the rest of your brood. I know exactly what this says."   
pp "What does it say, Spike?" The Watcher was beginning to lose patience with the vampire.   
pp "Says we're all gonna die, and it's gonna be Red's fault, is what it says." 


	7. Setting the Task

pp "What are you talking about, Spike? What are the exact words?" Giles said, stepping closer to the blonde vampire.   
pp "You know, the sods who write these prophecies have really got to work on their rhyming. I wrote better poetry than this in my day," Spike quipped.   
pp "Read it, Spike," Giles said, his voice dripping with barely checked rage.   
ppSpike rolled his eyes and began to read slowly, translating the words as he went.   
pp "When mankind's Chosen is reborn,   
ppWhen the mystical Key opens the door,   
ppWhen the fallen Slayer is Called Twice,   
ppWhen the Powers' Champion pays the price,   
ppThe Witch will find the Book of Spells   
ppTo release the souls from their cells.   
ppAll would bind, they would be one   
ppUnless the spell should come undone.   
ppIf the Witch does not succeed,   
ppThe world will shatter, it will bleed.   
ppIf proper words pass Evil's lips,   
ppThe world will end in short Apocalypse.   
ppIf the Witch should speak them first,   
ppThen a baby child from the Vessel, nursed,   
ppWill rid the world of each evil being   
ppSo, world safe, allows our heroes' freeing."   
ppGiles thought for a moment. "And that's everything it says?"   
pp "Every poofy word."   
pp "Write it out. I want to be able to look back at it."   
pp "What are you going to tell them?" Spike asked, jerking a thumb toward the door.   
pp "What I have to. And you'll not say another word."   
pp "You'd keep it from them?"   
pp "I can't have Willow doubting herself. If the fate of the world rests on her shoulders, she needs to have all the confidence she can."   
pp "So she's not to know the parts about the apocalypse, and the shattering and bleeding parts of our gruesome deaths, then?"   
pp "Not in the detail given in the prophecy."   
pp "Right then."   
pp***   
pp "So basically, we have to find this book, and Willow has to cast a spell?" Buffy asked, trying to make sure she understood the prophecy.   
pp "From what I understand, Willow must cast a binding spell, to bind the souls of the Chosen, the Key, the Twice Called, and the Champion. Then someone called the Vessel will bear a child who will rid earth of all demons," Giles replied.   
pp "So Willow will bind Buffy's, Dawn's, Faith's, and Angel's souls? And then this baby will kill all the demons?" Anya summarized.   
pp "And...our work will be done," Buffy said, slightly awed.   
pp "Buffy was reborn...brought back from the dead. Dawn was used to open the portal between worlds. And Faith was called a second time. But what was Angel's price?" Cordelia asked.   
pp "My time in Hell," Angel replied quietly.   
pp "You know, I know very little of Sunnydale's history. Y'all need to fill me in some time," Gunn admonished from the chair he was sprawled gracelessly across.   
pp "There will be time for that later," Wesley told him. "For now, we need to work on finding this book of spells."   
pp "Right. I guess we're back to research?" Buffy said, a sad tone in her voice.   
pp "No, Buffy. I think none of you will be any help until you've rested. And neither will I. I suggest we all get some rest," Giles said.   
pp "Great," Buffy replied, a smile on her face. She turned to Angel, Wesley, Cordelia, Gunn, Faith, and Spike. "You guys can stay at our house. There's plenty of...floor."   
pp "Thanks. Angel and Spike can take the sewers, because I am NOT taking that trip in Gucci heels," Cordelia said. A small smile crept across Buffy's face. Same old Cordelia.   
ppAngel shot a grudging look at Spike, then looked at Buffy, his eyes softening immediately. "We'll meet you back at your house."   
pp "Okay," she replied, and stood on her tip-toes to kiss him softly. Dawn made mock-gagging motions behind them, while the rest of the group looked on happily. Then Buffy turned and led the way outside.   
ppSoon, only Giles, Willow, Tara, Anya and Xander remained. "Will?" Xander asked, taking a step closer to her. "You've been strangely quiet. Normally, you'd be babbling enough to give yourself a hernia."   
pp "Sorry. I'm thinking."   
pp "W-well, this is a big deal," Tara said, wrapping an arm around her girlfriend's waist.   
pp "The fate of the world kinda rests on your shoulders," Anya added helpfully. Willow blanched visibly.   
pp "Relax, Willow. We can't be sure of anything until we know more," Giles said, glaring at Anya. Willow thought there was something odd in his tone, then decided that it was probably just her imagination.   
pp "Let's get home. Get some sleep," Tara said, leading Willow out of the store.   
pp***   
pp "I heard you and Giles," Angel said, not slowing his pace in the dank sewer.   
pp "Thought you might. Vampire hearing and all that," Spike replied. "Gonna tell Red?"   
pp "No. Giles is right. We can't scare Willow too much. She needs to be confident. I just wanted you to know that I know what the prophecy really says."   
pp "Right then. Thanks for the info."   
pp "And Spike?" Angel added after a moment.   
pp "Yeah?" Spike said, pushing annoyance into his tone.   
pp "Try to be nicer to Faith." Angel didn't slow his step, but when Spike stopped in his tracks, sputtering and staring at Angel's back dumbfoundedly, an amused half-smile graced Angel's mouth. 


	8. Long Night

ppBuffy snuggled closer to her bedmate, and sighed contentedly. Sure, she and Angel couldn't do much of anything other than cuddle, but that was fine with her. It was the closeness with him that she missed. Just being with him, she knew he could tell exactly what she was feeling, and she was getting better and better at reading him. Since he'd left Sunnydale the first time, he'd become much more expressive.   
pp "What are you thinking?" Angel asked her gently, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.   
pp "I was thinking about how nice it is to be with you."   
pp "That's a good thing to be thinking," he replied, tightening his arm around her.   
ppThey lay in silence for a few more minutes.   
pp "So do you think Faith and Spike will get back together?" Buffy said. Angel sighed loudly. "What?" Buffy said defensively. "You can't tell me you don't care. Spike's your family."   
pp "Thanks so much for that reminder," Angel muttered. He sighed again, and Buffy pinched him gently. He winced, then glared at her. She met his gaze full on. "Fine. I don't know if they'll get back together."   
pp "But do you want them to?"   
pp "I don't know."   
ppBuffy paused for a moment. "I do." He looked at her. "Well, I just want everyone to be as happy as we are. Only...we can't be that happy." She took a deep breath, wanting to take back those last words. So she kept babbling. "It's just, They're my friends, sort of, and they're so obviously in love, and they're just being stubborn. Neither wants to admit that they're in love, so they stay apart."   
pp "You think they're in love?" Angel said after a moment. "Spike doesn't have a soul. And Faith's still really messed up."   
pp "I know. But in their way...they're in love."   
pp "Then I want them to get together again, too," Angel said after a moment. Buffy sighed happily. Then the lovers drifted into sleep.   
pp*~*~*   
ppWillow lay rigidly on her back in her bed with Tara curled on her side, facing her. Tara was sleeping, though not deeply yet. Willow couldn't sleep.   
ppShe knew there was more to the prophecy. Giles had been cleaning his glasses a lot when he'd told them what it said. And Spike had looked especially bored with the whole ordeal. Overly bored, like he was trying to look bored. And while Giles and Spike had been translating it, Angel had stood, stone-still, listening to something. Willow suspected that he'd heard the goings-on with his vampiric hearing, and also knew what was going on. She wondered who else knew her fate and wasn't telling her.   
ppShe sighed. That wasn't fair. But it was! This was a prophecy about her! They should at least tell her what it said. If it said she was going to die, fine. At least she'd know, and she could do all the things she never had. She could go skydiving! Or buy a motorcycle! Or any of those other things people did when they only had a week to live and wanted to live life to the fullest.   
ppWho was she kidding? She couldn't afford a motorcycle. And she'd never been on a commercial airline before, let alone jumped out of a plane. And how safe could that be, anyway? She lived on a hellmouth. Luck wasn't really her middle name.   
ppShe sighed again. She wouldn't be sleeping tonight. Not only was her mind babbling along of its own accord, but truth be told, she was afraid to fall asleep. She didn't want to have another explosion dream. She wished Tara was awake, but the blonde witch only sniffed in her sleep, and let out a small whimper before stilling again. Willow carefully left the bed and dressed. She grabbed a stake and put it in her purse, because she was in Sunnydale, and she left the dorm room.   
ppOut in the night air, Willow's mind didn't clear. She knew what she'd like to be doing. Years ago, when something was bothering her, she'd go see Xander and they'd play scrabble into the night. She'd always win, but then they'd bring out monopoly, and he'd beat her there. They would play board games until the sun rose, and then Willow would go home and sleep for an hour or two, before getting up for school. She'd be refreshed for the whole day.   
ppBut that was in junior high and high school. Back before they'd grown up, and Xander was living with Anya and Willow was in love with another woman. Back when they were kids, it was so much easier. There was no slayer, no prophecies, and the biggest problem Willow had to face was her choice of university.   
ppThe comfort hadn't been one-sided. Often, Xander would come to her house, and throw pebbles at the window until she came down, and they'd go to her backyard, in the tent, and talk all night. Those were the nights that his parents were the worst, and Willow never said a word about it.   
ppWillow was jolted from her memories by a rustle in the bushes. She grabbed the stake from her purse and stood very still. A figure emerged from the bushes, carrying a long, flat box. Willow stared for a moment, then wrapped the man in a fierce hug.   
ppXander smiled, and hugged her back. He almost dropped the Scrabble box, but held fast. Then he draped an arm around Willow's tiny shoulders, and began to walk with her.   
pp "Thought you might wanna join me in a game of Scrabble?" he asked gently.   
pp "How did you know?" Willow asked.   
pp "Because I am the mighty Xander, who knows all and sees all." Xander puffed up his chest. Willow looked up at him, a gentle smile playing at her lips. Then the lower lip started to tremble.   
pp "I'm scared, Xander," she said, almost inaudibly. He immediately wrapped her in a strong, warm hug, letting the Scrabble box clatter to the ground, letters flying everywhere. And he just held her while she cried.   
pp*~*~*   
pp "Bloody hell," Spike muttered angrily, shifting uncomfortably on the rug. Granted, he'd slept on far more uncomfortable surfaces than this, but that didn't make it any better. And dammit, he was cold.   
pp "Shut up," Faith said sleepily from across the room, where she was curled on her side on the couch, in the fetal position. Spike sat up and rested his back against the wall. He wasn't really all that tired, but he had nothing better to do. So he studied the people in the room.   
ppFaith and Cordelia had claimed the two couches, and Wesley was curled up in the armchair. Gunn sprawled on the floor, in a seemingly vulnerable position. But Spike knew that the young vampire hunter slept with one eye open. Any suspicious noise and the man would be up and ready to fight in a flash.   
ppSpike looked back at Cordelia. She was graceful even in sleep. Her back was straight, and her feet were crossed daintily, her hair not even mussed. Of course, she was snoring loudly, which ruined the picture of elegance she portrayed. A smile played on Spike's lips, despite the annoying quality of the sound.   
ppHis glance strayed to Wesley. In sleep, the thin man was much more comfortable in his own skin than when he was awake. The insecurities seemed to flee, and he slept soundly, with the permanent frown he wore strangely absent. Apparently it was thought that made him frown. Interesting.   
ppFinally, Spike looked back at Faith. She was in a fetal position, still. She looked like she was shivering, but she had three blankets on her. She always slept that way. Like she was scared, or trying to melt into the bedclothes. Disappear. He stared at her some more. For such a tough girl, she slept like a four-year-old trying to shrink away from the monster in the closet. He knew there was baggage, and they'd even discussed some of it, but he'd never pressed for the earlier stuff. All he knew was her history starting from Sunnydale. But that was plenty colorful, without knowing what had happened in her life while growing up in...Boston, was it?   
pp "I swear, Bleachboy, if you don't quit starin at my ass, I'm gonna tear you a knew one," Faith said, steel in her voice. He knew she'd just awoken, because her breathing had changed, but she sounded as though she hadn't slept at all. Her voice was clear and conscious. He chuckled softly, and shook his head before laying down on his back once more, and drifting to sleep. Just before he drifted off, an unbidden thought sliced through his clouded mind. //Wish Faith was curled up next to me//.   
pp*~*~*   
pp "They found the prophecy," said the old woman, her tongue slithering like a serpant's.   
pp "I imagined they might," said the man sitting at the table that the old woman had moved closer to.   
pp "Aren't you worried? Don't you need to find the book before the Witch and her friends?"   
pp "Goodness, no. I couldn't get to it, even if I knew where it was. Why do you think I wanted them to find the prophecy?" The man sighed. His seer was old and stupid, but she saw what he needed to see, so he put up with her. "They're gong to lead me right to the book. Then I can rid myself of them. And the book will be mine." 


	9. Dwelling of the Dark

pp"So, what did you find, G-Man?" Xander said as he and Anya strode into the Magic Box together, hand in hand. "Any helpful tidbits?"   
pp "Only that the spell book that, er, Willow needs to use is in a cave somewhere. The books don't say exactly where, however."   
pp "D-does it hint?" Willow asked. She and Tara had entered with Xander and Anya, following closely behind.   
pp "It says that the book is in a cave. And that, conveniently, it's in the old Spanish ruins just South of town. La morada del oscuro, I believe they're called," Wesley replied.   
pp "And for those of us who failed miserably in Spanish?" Xander asked, confused.   
pp "Dwelling of the Dark," Anya piped up cheerily. Willow's face had blanched when she mentally translated Wesley's words.   
pp "Oh. That's not at all pleasant," She said.   
pp "Don't fret, Willow. We'll get the book, and we'll perform the spell. It will be very uneventful, I imagine," Wesley said. Giles cast a sideways glance at the other man, wishing he could tell Willow the truth. But he couldn't.   
pp "Because that's what happens in Sunnydale. Uneventfulness," Buffy said, walking into the store. The moon was high in the sky, so Angel, Cordelia, and Gunn accompanied her. Faith strolled in as well, and Spike came shortly after, a scowl on his face. He glared at Faith several times.   
pp "Trouble in paradise?" Xander teased, looking at the former couple.   
pp "They were bickering again," Angel explained, an amused smirk in their direction.   
pp "Were not, Ponce," Spike griped. Buffy raised an eyebrow at him. The vampire fell silent.   
pp "So, any news on the search?" Cordelia said, stepping forward.   
pp "We're going to La morada del oscuro," Wesley informed her.   
pp "Oscar's Trash heap?" Buffy said, confused. Angel leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Oh. See? This is why I failed Spanish. So where are these Morad Oscars?"   
pp "It's a set of Spanish caves south of the town," Giles informed her, ignoring her abuse of the Spanish language.   
pp "Oh. So we're going cave-hunting?" Gunn said.   
pp "Yes. But I don't think all of us need to go," Wesley said. "Perhaps just Buffy and Angel?"   
pp "I want to go," Willow piped in.   
pp "Very well, Willow," Wesley said. "Take Tara, as well. It can't hurt."   
ppAngel looked at Giles, then Spike, then spoke up. "Maybe Spike should come, too. Faith, you can patrol without him?"   
ppFaith grinned at him. "Glad to get rid of him," she said. Spike just glared at her.   
ppWesley started to protest, but Giles cut him off. Wesley didn't know the trouble that could come about, and Giles didn't wish to fill him in. "I think that's a good idea, Angel. The rest of us can stay here and research."   
pp "Research what?" Xander asked. "We know where the book is, we know what the prophecy is. What else is there?"   
pp "We're still not entirely sure what the prophecy means, Xander. We're gong to continue researching it," Giles told him. Xander pouted, but didn't argue. Buff turned and left, with Angel, Willow, Tara, and Spike following her. Faith left a moment later, to patrol. When they were all gone, Wesley turned to Giles.   
pp "Mr. Giles...I'd like to speak to you privately," Wesley told him, curtly. He strode into the back room, and Giles followed soon after.   
pp "What aren't you telling us about the prophecy?" Wesley asked as soon as they were alone. Giles stared at him a moment, then reluctantly handed over the paper with the prophecy's translation. Wesley read it, then looked up at Giles in dismay.   
pp*~*~*   
pp "They're going after the book," said the old woman. "Are you going to follow them?"   
pp "Actually, I'm going to intercept them," the man replied.   
pp "Kellan, I really think you need to be more discreet," said the woman. "Anonymity will get you what you need."   
pp "No, strength and power will get what I need. Sitting back and waiting will get me angry. I'm going to get that book, and I'm going to get it now," the man called Kellan said. "I thought you understood, Saba. I need the book now."   
pp "What you need is patience. If you steal the book too soon, they could have time to retrieve it before you cast the spell. They could beat you. You must lie low," Saba pleaded.   
pp "No," Kellan said, icy malice in his voice. "They will not beat me. And I'm not stealing the book. I'm taking what's mine." A cruel smile played on his lips. "It's mine."   
pp*~*~*   
pp "Nobody told me there were going to be slimy things in these caves," Buffy complained. Angel smiled fondly at her.   
pp "It's dark. Can you lot see all right?" Spike said, taking up the rear. He could see just fine, and he imagined Angel could see too, because both of them WERE vampires, after all.   
pp "Not really," Tara said.   
pp "Dilucesco," Willow said, waving her hand. A small ball of light, the strength of an oil lamp, appeared over her open palm, and the girls could see. Angel and Spike flinched at the sudden light, so much like daylight, then exchanged a look.   
pp "Wouldn't happen to warn us next time you pop a ball of light in your hand?" Spike glared at her.   
pp "Oh, sorry, Spike. It's not sunlight or anything, because, well, no dust!" Willow looked only slightly sheepish.   
pp "It looks a lot LIKE sunlight," Angel remarked.   
pp "Yeah. But it's artificial. I wouldn't conjure a ball of sunshine when I'm walking around with two vampires. Unless, you know, I didn't like them."   
pp "We have light. We're in gross, slimy caves. All we need now is some giant beastie to leap out at us, and we're set to go," Buffy said.   
pp "You're doing it again!" Willow cried in a stage whisper.   
pp "What?" Buffy said, defensive.   
pp "That thing! Where you practically INVITE some icky monster to come munch on us!"   
pp "I wasn't..." Suddenly a low growl was heard from their right. Buffy looked at Angel, then Spike. "Don't suppose that was you guys?" The vampires shook their heads, and Buffy sighed. "Figures." She pulled out her stake, just as a huge demon jumped out at them, large teeth bared.   
ppThe demon was slimy. It was about eight feet tall, with huge, hard muscles, and orange scales. And it oozed slime. It had huge teeth and claws, and didn't look happy to be woken up.   
pp "That's just...gross," Buffy said, staring at it.   
pp "I've never seen one of those before," Angel said. He turned to Spike. "Have you?"   
pp "No bloody idea what it is. But that don't mean we shouldn't kill it," Spike replied, an evil grin spreading across his ridged face. He growled at the creature.   
pp "Um...Spike? I think you're making him mad," Tara said, taking a step back.   
ppOn cue, the demon stepped forward and roared at the group. They stared at it in shock, and then the battle began. 


	10. Poisoned Prophecy

ppSpike, Angel, and Buffy attacked from different sides, but the beast had thick skin. Their blows seemed not to hurt it at all. And it was strong. Buffy found out just how strong when it picked her up by the waist and slammed her into the cavernous wall of the cave. Its claws gashed her belly, and she cried out at the pain of both that and being crushed to the wall. Angel let out a howl of rage, and attacked the beast with full fury as Buffy crumpled to the ground. However, his kicks, punches, and axe-swings seemed only to annoy the beast, and soon Angel was also tossed against a wall. Spike blocked a few swipes form the beast before glancing back at Willow and Tara.   
pp "Red? Glinda? Got any mojo you wanna work on Tall-Dark-&-Ugly over here? Maybe a nice melting spell? SOMEthing?!" He took a swipe to the face and fell back slightly. The he growled and kicked the beast in the stomach. Of course, it simply roared and renewed its furious attack.   
pp "Right!" Willow cried, grasping Tara's hand. "Dissolvo fractum!" the witches cried in unison. The beast began to crack, bright light pulsing through the opening gaps in it's bright skin. Then, suddenly, it was gone. Willow and Tara exchanged a satisfied look, then rushed over to where Buffy had fallen. Angel and Spike got there first, and Angel started to look over her.   
pp "Buffy? Are you okay?" he asked, worriedly. She groaned in pain.   
pp "I think he had salt-claws. They're just flesh-wounds. But they hurt. Plus the whole crushed-into-a-rock thing." Buffy struggled to sit up. "But I don't like that. Unbeatable beast? Just before we find the book? That's a bad sign. There are no coincidences in Sunnydale." Angel nodded. "Right. Spike, I want you to go ahead with Willow and Tara. Find the book. Get it, bring it out. I'm going to take Buffy outside. See if I can get a better look at these wounds."   
pp "I'm okay, Angel," she said, standing up. Immediately, she swooned, and Angel caught her. Then he smelled it.   
pp "Spike," he said harshly. Spike looked up at the taller vampire, and his look confirmed what Angel suspected. They both smelled it. Poison.   
pp "What?" Buffy said, grunting in pain again. Her belly was throbbing, burning.   
pp "That thing. Whatever it was...its claws were poison. You've got poison in your wounds," Spike told her.   
pp "Poison? What?! That is SO unfair!" she said weakly. Then she passed out.   
pp "Buffy!" Angel cried. No response. He picked her up. "Okay. You three, go get the book. And BE CAREFUL. I'm going to get her back to Giles and Wesley. Maybe we can ID the demon and get an antidote." With that, he turned and ran out into the night. Spike turned to the two witches.   
pp "Lets be quick, ladies," he told them. "I don't fancy fightin another of those nasties."   
ppThe trio continued into the cave.   
pp*~*~*   
pp "Giles!" Angel cried loudly, bursting through the Magic Box doorway. "Wes!" The two men came forward immediately. Then the group saw Buffy. She was pale, sweating, and bleeding. She was shivering, too.   
pp "What happened?" Giles asked, as Angel deposited Buffy on the table.   
pp "We were attacked. Some demon. We didn't know what it was, but it was strong. It got her. Willow had to use magic to kill it. Its claws...they were poisoned," Angel said quickly, the calm in his voice betraying the utter panic in his heart.   
pp "You don't know the type of demon?" Giles asked.   
pp "No. I-it was big. Orange. Slimy. Big," Angel repeated.   
pp "All right. Let's get her in the back. Xander, grab some blankets. Anya, get a bowl of water, we'll try to clean the wounds," Giles instructed. Xander and Anya moved to follow his orders, while Angel picked Buffy up again, and carried her through to the back. Gunn and Cordelia immediately began looking through the books to see if they could identify the demon that had attacked them. That was the only way to discover an antidote, and they had spent enough time working with Angel and Wesley to know that.   
pp*~*~*   
pp "I think it's this way," Willow said, pointing to the right.   
pp "How do you know?" Spike asked her.   
pp "I can feel the power," Willow said quietly. The group moved in the direction she had indicated. The walked about thirty feet before entering a cavern. There, in the center, was a stone pillar. Beside it stood a tall, fair-haired man, holding a thick, dusty book. He grinned maliciously at them.   
pp "Hmm. Didn't expect you so soon," he said, smiling. "I thought for sure that my Growkslerf would detain you for longer." He sighed. "No matter. You're too late, anyway. I have the book."   
ppSpike, Willow, and Tara all exchanged confused looks. Then Spike stepped forward, his game face surfacing quickly.   
pp "Suggest you put that back, mate," he said menacingly.   
ppThe man laughed delightedly. "Oh! I'm being threatened by William the Bloody! How splendid!" Spike took a hesitant step. How had the man known who he was?   
pp "Spike, don't," Willow said, almost inaudibly, from beside him. There was intense fear in her voice.   
pp "Why not?" he asked, just as quietly.   
pp "He's a Warlock. Powerful."   
ppSpike looked at the man again.   
pp "That book belongs to the redhead," he ordered confidently.   
pp "Mm. Mine now," said the man.   
pp "Who are you?" Tara asked, stepping forward. Fear in her voice, anyway.   
pp "I'm Kellan. Not that it matters, little Witch. I have the book. See you around!" Suddenly, a plume of gray smoke appeared where the man had been. He was gone. So was the book. Spike, Tara, and Willow exchanged a look of dread. Only Spike knew how serious it really was. But he suspected the Watcher would tell the rest of the scoobies, the witches included, as soon as they got back to the store.   
ppHe wondered what they'd do when they found out which part of the prophecy was going to be fulfilled. 


	11. From the Dark

pp "How could you keep this from me?" Willow asked Giles angrily.   
pp "I-I thought it would be best. I didn't want to-to frighten you."   
pp "FRIGHTEN me? The prophecy was about me! My LIFE! I deserved to know," she argued, trembling with unexpressed rage.   
pp "What if you had known, eh Red?" Spike piped up. She swung to face him. "You think you wouldn't have been quaking in your little boots? The Watcher knows you, and he knows what you'd have done if the whole damned shebang rested on your skinny shoulders. You'd have caved."   
pp "Well, I caved anyway, didn't I?" She spat back.   
pp "Willow, you did the best you could," Tara pleased gently, touching Willow's arm.   
pp "Well, my best wasn't good enough, was it? Th-that Kellan guy has the book, and I didn't even know that the world was going to end if I didn't get the book or maybe I might have done something a little bit differently, and then maybe we'd have the book and I'd be casting the spell right now and yeah, I know, apocalypse, nothing new, but not exactly something I'm looking forward to and I just-" Willow babbled. Xander stepped forward, grabbed both her shoulders and shook gently.   
pp "Willow!" He barked. She looked at him for a moment, stunned, then broke down sobbing.   
pp "Oh, for Pete's sake," Spike muttered.   
pp Willow got herself under control, then shot a watery smile at Xander.   
pp Just then, Faith stood up from her chair, where she had been watching the proceedings quietly. She headed for the back room, where Buffy was laid out, Angel sitting by her side, his hand clutching hers desperately.   
pp "How's she doin?" Faith said quietly. Angel's head shot up, as though he hadn't heard her come in.   
pp "The same," he said, clipped. She looked at him sympathetically.   
pp "She's going to be okay," Faith said, stepping forward uncomfortably.   
pp Angel didn't say anything for a moment. "Have they found anything, yet?"   
pp "Wes and Gunn are still looking. Willow came back with Spike and Tara." Angel's head shot back up at her. "They don't have the book. Some warlock guy came and got it first. I guess Giles lied to her about the prophecy. To all of us."   
pp "I know," Angel replied simply. She didn't seem surprised at this.   
pp "I'm gonna go see if Wes and Gunn are getting anywhere new. Willow told us that Kellan guy called whatever you fought a Growk-something. I guess it's all magic. They're looking for the antidote."   
pp "Thanks," Angel told her. Faith looked at him for another moment, then turned and went back out to the front of the store. As the door opened, Angel over heard Giles' voice.   
pp "...but right now our most important priority is to help Buffy. Then we'll work on retrieving the, er, the book..." Angel tuned him out as the door closed, and looked back at Buffy, lying on the floor, the picture of vulnerability. He sighed shakily.   
pp *~*~*   
pp "Come, now, Saba. Surely you must see SOMETHING in that pretty little head of yours. Is the Slayer dead yet?" Kellan asked, stroking the stolen book lovingly, cold malice in his eyes as he smiled at his seer. Saba was skittish, but her answer was clear and confident.   
pp "I see nothing, Kellan. I cannot reach her. Perhaps this means she is dead." She took a shaky breath. "Not that it matters, as you have the book now."   
pp "Ah, but it DOES matter. For, you see, Saba, I cannot use the book yet. Not for another three days. I need to keep the Slayer out of commission for a few days. Enough time for me to finish my task. Then she can heal. Not that it will do her any good."   
pp "But did you not tell the Witches what the creature was?" Kellan's face paled considerably. Saba noted it the realization on his face. He was becoming too confident. He had let the truth slip. The power was corrupting him.   
pp "No matter," he started, shaking only a little. "They can't defeat me, anyway."   
pp "Are you sure? You've grown too confident, Kellan. The slayer and her friends can play on that. They can use it." Kellan suddenly grew red with rage.   
pp "NO!" he screamed, his eyes flashing a deep red. "They won't defeat me. I've already won!!" With that, Kellan raised a hand, pointed to Saba, and watched as her body caught aflame. The seer screamed as her body burned, and Kellan laughed until her screams had quieted to nothing.   
pp "I've already won."   
pp *~*~*   
pp "I've found it!" Wesley cried triumphantly. Ten heads shot up to stare at him. He smiled. "I have the antidote. I-it's a spell of some kind. It's fairly straightforward, actually."   
pp "What is it?" Willow said forcefully. Wesley looked taken aback for a moment. He still wasn't used to this version of Willow. He remembered the mousy high school senior she had been years before.   
pp "It includes a few roots, some sands...nothing particularly difficult to acquire. In fact, I think Mr. Giles has all the essential ingredients here at the shop."   
pp "Then let's cast it!" Xander piped up. "Or, um, you know, let Willow and Tara do it. Obviously."   
pp "Right. Give me the list, Wesley," Giles said. He took the book and began gathering the different ingredients.   
pp Soon, they were ready, and Spike went into the back room to collect Buffy and Angel.   
pp "We've got it. Grab the girl and bring her out," he said unceremoniously. Angel stared after him for a moment, then hurriedly gathered Buffy's limp form up in his arms and carried her out to the front of the shop.   
pp Willow began to burn the herbs in the circle, while Tara spread sand crystals around Buffy's flat body. The two witches shared an intense look, then Willow began chanting. Tara chanted different words at the same tone, creating a strange harmonized effect. The words seemed like gibberish...but neither girl slowed down, and soon a light began to engulf Buffy's body. Angel took a tentative step forward. Suddenly, the light exploded into a bright array of sparks, and there was blissful silence for a full five seconds as the scoobies watched on to see if the spell had worked. Suddenly, Buffy's body began to convulse uncontrollably.   
pp "What the hell?!" Faith cried, lunging forward. Angel got to Buffy first, and used his vampire strength to hold her to the floor, so she had less chance of hurting herself.   
pp "It's just the magic fighting the poison," Giles said, stepping forward. Spike laid a reassuring hand on Faith's arm, but she continued to panic.   
pp Suddenly Buffy's body was utterly motionless. Then she shot up, stiff as a board, eyes wide. Angel looked into her eyes with concern. She blinked, then stared at him, confusion evident on her face.   
pp "A-angel?" 


	12. Fork in the Road

"I'm glad Buffy's all right," Tara said, snuggling closer to Willow in their bed. Willow nodded, barely moving her head.  
pp  
"I can't believe Giles lied to me," Willow said after a silent moment. Tara frowned.   
pp  
"I don't think he was doing it to hurt you. He just didn't want you to worry. He knows it was wrong, now."  
pp  
"I just thought...you know, that they had more confidence in me, I guess."  
pp  
"It's not that he doesn't believe in you, Will. He does. It's just...he thought you'd get scared. And...maybe he's right?"  
pp  
"Maybe. But now we don't have the book. How are we supposed to get it back?" Willow sighed, feeling the exhaustion from the night's events finally beginning to catch up with her.  
pp  
"Buffy, Angel, Spike and Faith are working on that. They'll figure it out. It's what they do. Now go to sleep," Tara said, kissing Willow's forehead. Willow nodded, then drifted into what she hoped would be a dreamless sleep. No such luck.  
pp  
*~*~*  
pp  
Willow found herself in a completely white space. The atmosphere was that of a room...only it didn't end. That was certainly interesting. She turned and saw Tara wearing a long taupe gown, standing next to a window. Willow's face fell.  
pp  
"Oh. Another dream?"  
pp  
Tara nodded, her face the picture of seriousness.  
pp  
"Can I not explode this time?" Willow asked weakly. Tara's laugh rang out through the room, echoing slightly. Then she smiled at Willow.  
pp  
"I'm here to show you your future," Tara told her. Willow quirked an eyebrow at her lover's form.  
pp  
"Like a horoscope or something?" Another smile from Tara.   
pp  
"No. Just a picture. A glimpse." She gestured to the window. Willow stepped forward and looked out. She saw a strange scene. She was looking at Sunnydale. It was night time. And there were people all over the place. Happy, smiling people. Then she saw Buffy. A bit older, her hair cut into a short bob. She was sitting next to Angel, and the entire Scooby gang and the gang from L.A. were spread out around them. They were having a picnic. Spike was cuddling with Faith, and an older Dawn was lounging with a boy Willow didn't recognize. All of them were older. Even Spike and Angel looked older, though Willow couldn't figure out why. And nobody was patrolling. No one was looking around in the shadows. Everyone was just relaxed. And there was another young person there. Willow didn't recognize the man, but he couldn't have been older than twenty.  
pp  
"Is this what will happen? Is that guy the child? The one that will save the world?" Willow asked Tara. Tara smiled.  
pp  
"This is what could happen. If you retrieve the book, and you manage to cast the spell to bind your soul to the Key, the Chosen, the Champion and She Who Is Twice Called. The binding will create the soul that will inhabit the Savior, and he in turn will be the light in the dark world."  
pp  
"Well. That was cryptic." Willow sighed. "So what would happen if we didn't get the book, or if we didn't get it in time?"  
pp  
"Do you really want to see?"  
pp  
Willow simply nodded. The scene outside the window changed. Willow looked on in horror. Vampires were everywhere. Demons of all species and sizes were running rampant, walking around in the middle of everything. There were very few humans. Those that Willow saw were on leashes. The leashes were being carried by the demons. The humans appeared to be the subservient group.  
pp  
"B...But Buffy...she'd never let this...her and Faith and Angel, and Spike...they'd all stop it."  
pp  
"Do you want to see?"  
pp  
"Yes," Willow said weakly. The scene outside the window changed. Angel and Spike were chained up, obviously unfed. There were scars in the shapes of crosses along their bodies, and holy water pooled at their feet so that they had to pull themselves up. Both were straining, struggling to maintain their strength. Buffy and Faith were laid out on slabs of concrete about thirty feet in front of the vampires, chained down, unable to move. Their shrieks of horror cut through the din of the scene, as several vampires plunged wooden stakes into their limbs again and again. Willow turned away, horrified and sick. Tears glossed her eyes and she looked at Tara.  
pp  
"This is what will happen?"  
pp  
"There's a choice here. A fork in the road. You can go two ways. This is what could happen if you don't get the book. Do you see now?"  
pp  
"Yes. I'll get it. I'll get it back."  
pp  
"Good. Use your powers. You are strong enough, Willow. But don't rely on your power. Use it. Don't take it for granted. Or your fate will be even worse than that of your friends."  
pp  
Willow shot up in bed, panting harshly. Tara immediately opened her eyes, looking up at the redhead with concern.  
pp  
"Willow? Everything okay?"  
pp  
Willow suddenly broke into tears, the memories of her friends and their screams of pain too much for her to handle. "We have to get the book back, Tara. It can't wait till morning. We have to call Giles now."  
pp  
"Did you have another dream, Baby?"  
pp  
"Yes, I did. I saw what's going to happen if we don't find the book, and if we don't cast the binding spell. We have to get it."  
pp  
"What did you see, Willow?"  
pp  
Willow looked her lover straight in the eye, and her voice became stronger, the tears hardly evident in it as she spoke the truth of what she had seen in her dream.  
pp  
"Hell." 


	13. On Schedule

"And you're quite sure this will work?" Giles asked, placing his glasses back on his face. Everyone was gathered in the Magic Box, obviously tired from the events of the past few days. Buffy was curled up against Angel's side, bandages wrapped around her middle.   
"I'm sure. Well, I'm reasonably sure. I think it might work. Probably," Willow said, her voice trailing off.   
"So what you're saying is, you have no idea?" Spike said, rolling his eyes. Faith smacked him on the arm.   
"I'm saying this is our only chance," Willow said, turning on him.   
"We have to try it," Tara added. "We have to get the book before Kellan uses it."   
"They're right. We need that book," Xander said.   
"What all do you need for the locator spell?" Wesley asked.   
"Just some general herbs. We've got all of it here. I just need to know that everyone's ready. It has to be now."   
"We'll be ready," Buffy said.   
"Are you sure you're healed enough?" Angel asked her, concern in his voice.   
"Buffy, I don't want you to get hurt again," Willow said.   
"Don't worry about me, Will. By the time we get to the book, I'll be ready to fight."   
"You may not have to," Cordy told her.   
"What are you talking about?"   
"Well, I was reading about this Kellan guy, in some of the magic books. Doing the research thing, and all. He's a really powerful warlock. He's old, and really bad."   
"Yeah. He'll have minions, for sure, but we don't know if they'll be magic-users, or if they'll be ordinary demons," Gunn added.   
"So we fight the minions. The witches do the spell stuff," Faith said, standing.   
"That's what I was thinking," Willow said. "I need everyone on board, ready to fight. Tara and I will work against Kellan, and try to incapacitate him long enough to get the book."   
"Wow, Willow. You're really taking charge here," Anya observed.   
"If you'd seen what I saw in my dream," Willow said, "You'd understand. It was Hell. If we don't get the book, horrible things are going to happen, to everyone."   
"Then we get the book," Dawn piped up.   
"No. WE get the book. YOU stay home, safe, away from all life-or-death battles," Buffy instructed her.   
"Buffy, I have to be there. What if you guys can't beat Kellan? And Willow has to do the binding spell? Then I'm going to have to be there."   
"Dawn's right. Buffy, the last thing any of us wants is for Dawn to be in danger, but she's right. We need her there in case Willow has to do the spell on short notice," Angel agreed.   
"She's my sister! She can't go fighting countless demons on a whim!"   
"You were my age when you started slaying," Dawn argued.   
"You're not a Slayer! You don't have any special powers, or anything," Buffy said.   
"Neither did we, when we first started slaying with you, Buffy," Xander said. "Cordy, Willow and I, we've been there from the beginning. Before Willow started doing spells, the four of us went patrolling all the time."   
"Xander's right, Buffy. We never had any slayer-strength, or special powers. But we slew, and lived to tell the tale," Cordy said. "We'll take care of her."   
Buffy thought about it for a moment. "Fine. But Willow, Tara, you guys do a protection spell. For all of us. Just in case."   
"It was already in the plan, Buff," Willow told her, a small smile on her face.   
"So we do the spell?" Gunn said. "Then we go find the book, we kick some demon ass, and then we save the world?"   
"Again," Buffy added.   
The group sat in silence for a moment. "So this is what, apocalypse number seven for us?" Xander said, a humorless smile on his face.   
"Something like that," Willow nodded. "Is everyone ready?"   
"Let's get weapons, so the second we know where the book is, we can go after it," Faith said, already headed toward the training room in the back.   
"Good idea. Okay, Spike, Faith, Gunn, I want you guys to get the weapons. Willow and Tara, you guys do your magic thing. The rest of us are going to hammer out a game plan," Buffy said.   
*~*~*   
"Expiscor pernosco," Find. Book. Willow said in a low voice, blowing gently on the flam of the candle she was staring into. Tara sprinkled a few herbs in a circle around where Willow sat on the floor, while the others watched in silence. "Find what we seek, search for the light. Let us find our prize, let us end our plight. Knowledge we seek, in order to gain. Lead us the way, show us in the grain," Willow and Tara chanted together. Wesley stepped forward with a large bottle full of sand, and began to slowly pour it on the floor. Willow stared into the pile it made, which shimmered brightly. Then Willow's head flung back, and the sand exploded. Willow faced forward again, the momentary trance ended. She looked around at the expectant faces of her friends.   
"We have to go now."   
They immediately gathered their weapons and supplies, then headed out into the night.   
"Where are we going?" Buffy asked Willow as they walked through the empty streets.   
"There's a cave. Deep in the woods. He's there, and he's getting ready to use the book," Willow said, her course not altering.   
"How do you know how to get there?" Spike asked her, matching his steps with theirs.   
"I just know. I don't know how I know, but I do."   
"You're sure it's not a trap?" Xander asked. "I mean, maybe he knows we're coming?"   
"He knows," Willow answered, her step not faltering. "But we have to go."   
"So he's ready for us?" Gunn asked, hoisting his axe higher on his shoulder.   
"Doesn't matter," Angel said. "Because we're ready, too."   
"So let's go kick some demon butt," Dawn said cheerfully. Buffy shot her a glare.   
"Sure you're up for this, B?" Faith asked.   
"Have to be. Come on, guys. Let's hurry."   
*~*~*   
"They're coming," Kellan said, grinning maliciously. "Everything is prepared?"   
"Yes, Sir," replied the vampire standing beside him. "Your followers are waiting for them, ready."   
"Good. Remember, no one needs to die. Yet. I need to do the spell on the witch. Keep the others busy."   
"Yes, Sir."   
"It's amazing, isn't it?" Kellan said, grinning. "That they think they're coming here to save the book? To save the world? That they're going to take me by surprise? They have no idea that they're bringing me exactly what I need to take their world away." 


	14. Lucky Number

"Okay. Twelve of us. We don't know how many of them," Angel said quietly as they neared the cave.   
"There's going to be a lot," Willow said. "Is everyone ready?"   
"Are we just going to storm in there and start kicking ass?" Faith asked, swinging her hair out of her face.   
"We're going to be careful," Buffy said.   
"So this is what it's like to have the fate of the world resting on your shoulders," Gunn said, almost to himself.   
"You get used to it," Xander told him.   
"I'm not sure I like this whole cave thing," Cordy piped up. "I mean, there's once entrance. We all go in at once, and you just know they're going to have us surrounded."   
"We don't have a choice, here," Wesley said, sighing. "This is the best we can do. We just have to make sure we're all ready to fight."   
"Are we?" Spike said, stepping up to the mouth of the cave.   
"I think so," Buffy replied, stretching. Okay. I want Faith and Spike to go in first, and Angel and I will bring up the rear."   
"I think I've changed my mind," Dawn said quietly. "I don't think I want to be here."   
"We'll protect you," Giles told her.   
"Okay. Everyone ready? Remember, don't do anything stupid. We all have to make it out."   
"Count of three," Angel said, stepping behind the group.   
"One...two..." Faith and Spike jumped up and ran into the cave. Buffy rolled her eyes. "Go!" The group stormed into the cave, and directly into a large, empty cavern. They all stopped, looking around mistrustfully.   
"This can't be good," Tara whispered.   
"We're not alone," Spike said, sniffing the air. "I can smell them. Vamps."   
"Lots of them," Buffy whispered, grabbing her abdomen. "They're all over the place. But where?"   
"Spell," Willow said, her lips barely moving.   
"Of course. An invisibility..." Wes said before he suddenly went flying back.   
"Crap! We can't see them!" Buffy said, as an invisible fist swept across her jaw painfully.   
"What do we do?" Faith cried, fists swinging wildly.   
"Tara!" Willow cried as her girlfriend suddenly flew back from the force of an unseen hit.   
"We have to cast a counter-spell," Giles said, looking around wildly.   
"Can you cast it?" Xander asked Willow.   
"I...yeah! Just, give me a sec," she said, thinking hard, looking around.   
"It has to be now!" Angel cried as he swung his fist out, apparently catching one of the vampires.   
"Okay, okay. Um...Appareo manifestus!" Suddenly, the group was greeted with the sight of about thirty vampires, surrounding them.   
"Can we go back to not seeing them, please?" Xander said weakly. Faith stepped forward and plunged her stake into one of the vampires' chests.   
"I think it's time to kick their ass," Buffy said grimly, punching a vampire in the face.   
"We've got to get to Kellan," Willow said.   
"Okay. Spike, get Willow and Tara through, deeper in. Kellan will probably be in another room somewhere," Buffy replied.   
"Right," Spike replied, kicking out at one of the demons. Willow and Tara followed quickly after him.   
"How many do you think there are?" Angel shouted as he ducked a punch.   
"Thirty, maybe?" Wesley replied, his sword glinting in the faint light of the cave.   
"Thirty. My lucky number," Faith replied, striking out again.   
*~*~*   
"Let's go, Bints! Hurry it up!" Spike shouted, kicking out wildly at one of the vampires blocking their way through the caves.   
"We're trying," Willow said, running behind him. She looked at one of the vampires in their way. "Decolo!" she cried, and the vampire's head was disconnected from its body, effectively turning it to dust.   
"Watch it with that stuff!" Spike cried, staking one of the demons. "Don't you be aiming my way, or you and Glinda'll be lacking an escort."   
"We have to get through, Spike," Tara said, still running.   
"Yeah, yeah. Okay, tell you what. You go ahead, I'll keep 'em off your tail."   
Willow and Tara wordlessly ran ahead, leaving Spike to deal with the vampires. "Be careful," Tara shouted back at him before they were out of sight.   
"Can you find him?" Tara whispered when she and Willow found themselves alone.   
"It shouldn't be too hard," came a deep voice from in front of them. The witches looked up, and right at Kellan.   
"Kellan," Willow breathed.   
"It's amazing," Kellan said, a chuckle in his voice. "I thought perhaps you'd be smarter than to try and take me on alone. Or at all."   
"Suffoco," Willow said, intending to use her magic to stop him. Nothing happened.   
"Did you think you were stronger than me?" Kellan laughed. "How quaint. You have no power over me. I command the greatest magics. Perhaps if you'd taken the time to learn more about me, you might have had a chance. But you don't."   
"Why did you bring us here?" Tara asked.   
"Because I need you. To do my spell. It's ironic, isn't it? You've come, thinking you were going to stop me. When it's your lover's powerful blood that I need to complete my spell."   
"My blood?" Willow replied, taking an involuntary step back. With a wave of his hand, Kellan literally froze her to the spot.   
"Why, yes. You're the key, Willow Rosenburg. You're going to kill all of your friends." 


	15. Alone At Last

"Bloody hell!" shouted Spike as he stepped back. There were at least ten vampires attacking him at once. "Shouldn't have let the bloody witches go without me," he muttered to himself, just before a foot caught him in the face and he went crashing down to the stone floor.   
Vampires swarmed around him, some laughing, some just glaring, as they readied themselves to finish him off. Spike tried in vain to fight them off, but they wouldn't let him get his bearings. None of these vampires, alone, would have been any match for him, but there were ten or so. Spike was outnumbered.   
But he wasn't going to give up. He continued to kick up and trip his adversaries. Spike knew that he wasn't going to survive this fight, but he had to keep the vamps of the witches' tails.   
A boot connected with his face, and he nearly blacked out from the force. He was prepared to fight to the death, but if these buggers didn't quit kicking him in the bloody face...   
Then it stopped. Spike was sure he was just about to die, but the stake was never plunged into his chest. He weakly lifted his head, to stare into concerned brown eyes.   
"Having fun?" asked the familiar voice.   
"Who's asking?" he muttered. The dark eyes turned darker, with concern.   
"You don't recognize me? How hard did you hit your head, Spike?"   
"I know who you are. All bloody four of you. I meant, which one's asking."   
Faith whapped him lightly on the arm, then reached down to help pull him up. He stood, swaying slightly, and rubbed at his head.   
"Where are they?" Buffy cried, coming into the corridor. Spike waved in the direction Willow and Tara had headed.   
"They went ahead. Figured I should stay here and keep the baddies off their tail."   
"Crap. Okay, let's go. We've got to get to them."   
The group followed Buffy through the tunnel, Faith making sure to keep a hand on Spike's back, steadying him.   
"You okay?" she asked him, all mocking absent from her tone.   
"I will be, luv," he replied. "I think I like having you worry about me. Makes me feel all warm and squooshy."   
"Makes me want to heave," Dawn piped up from behind them.   
"Shut it," Faith and Spike replied in unison, not even turning around.   
"Yup. Totally over each other," Dawn muttered sarcastically to herself, rolling her eyes.   
*~*~*   
"What are you talking about?" Willow demanded of Kellan.   
"You are the Power," he replied simply, crooking his finger. Willow's feet stepped forward of their own accord. The power? The power... Willow remembered something from a dream she didn't really remember. Tara saying...that she was the Power. As soon as the memory surfaced, it was gone again.   
"What does that mean?"   
"Does it really matter, little girl? You aren't going to live long enough to find out, anyway."   
"I'm not going to let you use me," Willow said, her voice sounding strong in her own ears, despite her own mind-numbing fear.   
Kellan laughed. "Oh, that's rich. I like that. You aren't going to let me? You don't have a choice, my dear girl."   
"I think we might have something to say about that," Buffy's voice rang out in the echoing cave, and suddenly their group was assembled behind her, looking fierce and unbeatable.   
"Oh, look at this! It really IS my lucky day. The Chosen. Oh, and the Key, the Champion, the Twice Called. How wonderful!"   
"Perky people piss me off," Faith growled, stepping forward.   
"M'not too fond of 'em, m'self," Spike drawled, swaggering a step forward.   
"Oh, this is entertaining," Kellan laughed, before smiling evilly. He raised a hand, and suddenly Faith was swept back into the stone wall with enough force to knock her out immediately. Spike went to rush to her side, but found that his feet wouldn't move.   
"You bloody bastard!" he growled, struggling against his invisible bonds. "I'll bloody kill you!"   
"Yes, yes. Now, as wonderful as this little gathering is," Kellan said, smirking, "I think it's time the redhead and I had a little private party." He raised another hand, and his eyes glowed red before Willow suddenly levitated up to stand beside him on the rock platform he was on, and they were surrounded by a pale, blue bubble, unmoving.   
"What the hell?" Gunn said, stepping forward.   
"Willow!" cried Tara. "It's a force-field," she said. "We can't get to them!"   
Spike suddenly found that he could move again, and rushed to Faith's side, listening carefully for a heartbeat. Cordelia joined him at her side, and they carefully began to try and wake her up.   
"What's he doing to her?" Xander asked.   
"I don't know. But we have to stop it," Buffy replied.   
*~*~*   
"Where are we?" Willow demanded, noticing that she was floating in an endless black space. Kellan was floating in front of her, a gruesome smile on his face.   
"Ah. Alone at last," he sighed, still smiling. "I don't suppose anything here looks familiar?"   
The dream. Willow remembered. This was the point, in the dreams she'd been having, where she would explode. 


	16. Waiting Game

"Dissolvo!" Tara said, staring at the bubble that had encased Kellan and Willow. Nothing happened, which she'd half-expected. "I can't break it," she groaned, disappointment evident in her voice.   
"It's okay, we'll figure something out," Angel told her, stepping forward.   
"I'm thinking brute force," Spike muttered.   
"What can we hit it with?" Cordelia asked.   
"Whatever's handy," Gunn replied. Faith stepped up, still a little dizzy. She moved toward the bubble and swung her axe down against it powerfully. A flash of light burst from the point of contact, and she flew backward, but the bubble only glimmered, not at all damaged.   
"Bloody hell, woman! If you don't quit nearly getting yourself killed, I'm going to kill you!" Spike growled, rushing to her side.   
"We have to get Willow out," Giles said, looking around the cave for something of use.   
"Or she has to get herself out," Wesley piped up. "Whatever Kellan's doing to her, he's doing it to himself, too."   
"You're right. Willow's strong, but Kellan's stronger. Her magic didn't do anything against him," Tara said as Dawn moved to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.   
"Willow can do this," Dawn said, with little conviction.   
"We don't know anything about this guy!" Buffy said angrily.   
"We know he's powerful. Is there anything else?" Gunn asked.   
"He, uh, he said that he needed to use Willow to cast his spell. That her blood was the most important ingredient. He called her the Power," Tara said.   
"The Power?" Wesley said, almost to himself. "Surely not."   
"What do you mean, surely not?" Buffy asked, whirling around on the former watcher.   
"I just...I've read about the Power," Wesley said, a little sheepishly. "In the Togerian Prophecies."   
"Is that the book you keep on your nightstand?" Cordelia asked him.   
"Yes, it's my, uh, light reading," he blushed.   
"What does it SAY?" Xander asked impatiently.   
"That, uh, that the Power will fight a battle against darkness, and that the end of the world would be in her hands. That her adversary, though powerful, would be weak, and that if she were able to exploit that weakness then the Vessel... Oh dear."   
"Oh dear? Oh DEAR?" Cordelia said angrily. "Did the prophecy happen to mention, say, the Key, the Champion, the Chosen, the Twice Called, and maybe a BINDING SPELL?"   
"It...may have been mentioned."   
"That's beautiful. Just beautiful. It's great that you remembered that, Wes. Really, it is," Gunn ranted.   
"I'm sorry, I just didn't think of it. It didn't click."   
"It doesn't matter. What else do you remember, Wes?" Angel said.   
"That's about it, really. It didn't say anything about how the fight would occur, or when or where. Only that it would, and that the Power would have to act alone."   
"Alone? As in, without help?" Buffy asked.   
"Yes," Wes replied.   
"So we sit and wait?" Anya asked incredulously.   
"It seems that that's about all we can do," Giles replied sullenly.   
"I ever tell anyone I'm not real fond of waiting?" Faith said weakly from the ground. Spike was cradling her head in his lap, stroking her hair.   
"Yeah, well, you're not going anywhere anyway," Spike replied matter-of-factly.   
"I'm fine," Faith protested, trying to push herself up. When she winced and fell back into his lap, Spike said nothing. "Okay, maybe I'll wait."   
"I can't just sit here and do nothing," Tara said, tears in her voice. Dawn wrapped an arm around her, and Xander moved to comfort her.   
"Maybe you won't have to," Gunn murmured, looking around at the vampires that were moving into the opening.   
*~*~*   
"It's a simple spell, really," Kellan said, grinning at her. "I can make it painless if you're willing to cooperate. Of course, if you're not..."   
"I'm not! I'm not going to cooperate! In fact, I'm going to fight you," Willow said, fear in her voice. Kellan's magic was too strong for her.   
Don't rely on your power. In the last dream she'd had, Tara had spoken those words to her. What did that mean? And why had it popped into her head now?   
"It would be much easier on you," Kellan reminded her.   
"Why do you care if I cooperate? What does it matter whether it hurts me or not? You're the evil one! You're not supposed to care if I..." Suddenly, it was as if a flash went off in Willow's brain. She wasn't going to rely on her power. She was going to use it, but she wasn't going to rely on it to save her. She would do that on her own.   
"I don't care. I just think it would be easier on all parties concerned if you'd just..."   
"You need me to," Willow said, her voice almost awed. "You need me to cooperate. Or it won't work." Kellan smiled maliciously.   
"So you ARE smarter than I thought. That's good. Yes, Willow. You do have to be willing. Of course, there are ways to manipulate free will." Kellan snapped his fingers, and suddenly Tara appeared beside him, bound and gagged, with a rather large vampire holding a knife to her throat.   
"Tara!!" 


	17. Misdirection

"Tara!" Willow cried, looking at her lover in horror, then looking back to Kellan. "Let her go!"   
"Oh, I have no intention of hurting her. Providing you cooperate with me."   
"Please," Willow whimpered. She couldn't make this decision. Cooperate with Kellan and end the world, or watch her lover die before her eyes. Tara looked at her with pleading eyes.   
"Please what?" Kellan asked, a vicious smile on his lips.   
"Please don't make me choose," Willow said, her voice small and defeated. The fate of the world rested on her shoulders, and she would fail. No matter what she decided, she would fail. A tear ran down Tara's cheek as the vampire pressed the knife closer to her throat.   
"It's not a difficult choice," Kellan said, disdain in his voice. "Do you think casting the binding spell will instantly destroy all the demons in the world? Of course not. All it means is that the Vessel will bear the Savior. The Savior still has to survive, and to fight. He may not win. You know that. But if you don't cooperate, your lover will die before your eyes. Indefinitely."   
Willow honestly didn't know what to do. If she cooperated with Kellan, the Savior still might not manage to save the world in fifteen or twenty years.   
"Let me make it easier on you," Kellan said. "The Savior is not a secret. Demons all around the globe will be after him, will try to kill him before he's able to come of age. Surely, if a million demons come after a small, defenseless child, he will die. Painfully. Do you want that innocent's death on your conscience? To know that a young child, who you will probably be connected with from his birth, died because of you? And to watch your lover die? Also painfully, might I add."   
Tara or the world. Tara WAS her world. How could she make this decision in good conscience? How could she make it at all? Without Tara, she wouldn't want to live in this world anyway. But the others were counting on her. Which was the right choice?   
In answer to her silent question, the vampire holding the knife to Tara's throat suddenly pushed her gag down, allowing Tara to speak.   
"Willow, please! Don't let him hurt me! Just do what he says! Please, Willow! I love you!"   
Tara's words cut her right through to the core. Never had she heard her lover plead like that. Tara was usually so strong, so noble. To hear her plead for her life that way...it was unsettling. Very unsettling.   
So unsettling, in fact, that Willow almost agreed right there. But then she realized, that Tara's words were too unsettling.   
"This is another trick," she said, her voice hard. "You're tricking me. That's not Tara. It's an illusion. Tara would never, ever ask me to save her instead of the world. Tara knows the difference between right and wrong, always has, and she wouldn't ask me to destroy all of my friends for her. Not ever," Willow said. Her voice held more conviction than she felt, though. What if she was wrong in calling his bluff?   
"You don't think I have the power to bring Tara here, to this plane, as well as you? You think I'm weak, like you?" Kellan said, a little rage creeping into his voice.   
"No. I'm more powerful than you. You're not a sorcerer, you're nothing but a magician! All of this, they're all illusions. This plane, Tara, all of it. You probably weren't even in the cave. That was an illusion too, wasn't it?"   
"How dare you!" Kellan cried, rage in his voice. "I am the most powerful sorcerer on the planet!" He turned to the vampire holding Tara. "Kill her."   
It took every ounce of willpower Willow had in her heart to not cry out that she'd agree, do whatever Kellan wanted, just please don't hurt Tara. A small cry escaped her lips when the blade of the knife slid deep into the blonde woman's throat. Blood poured from the wound as Tara gurgled in obvious pain. Real blood.   
"Oh God," Willow whimpered at the sight of her lover bleeding to death in front of her.   
*~*~*   
Tara suddenly fell to the ground, grabbing at her throat in pain.   
"Tara!" Xander yelped, rushing to her side. She gasped for air, clutching at her throat.   
"What's going on?" Cordelia asked, rushing forward. "What's happening to her?"   
"I don't know," Giles said. "Tara?" he said loudly, grasping her hand, trying to get her to look at him.   
"It hurts," she finally panted, looking around wildly. "I...can't breathe..."   
"She's having trouble breathing. It probably has something to do with Kellan."   
"We've got to help her," Buffy said, looking around. "We need to get her out of his range."   
Angel nodded, and picked up her light form, rushing for the exit. "I'll take care of her," he said as he ran out, swiftly.   
"We've got to get into that bubble," Buffy said when they were gone. "Now." 


	18. Connections

"Tara?" Angel asked, gently trying to shake the blonde awake. She stirred a little, but didn't open her eyes. Angel looked around, for something, smelling salts, water, anything. His eyes fell on a flower, and he sighed. It was better than nothing.  
  
Angel plucked the fragrant flower from the ground, and held it up to Tara's small nose. She started to stir a little more, and suddenly sneezed violently, three times in a row. Her nose started to turn a little red, and her eyes watered as she started to open them. Angel grinned down at her, and she sneezed again, weakly pushing the flower away.  
  
"I'm allergic," she croaked weakly, another sneeze punctuating her admission.   
  
"Sorry. I just wanted to wake you up," Angel said sheepishly. Tara sniffled, rubbing her nose. "Now, what happened in there?"  
  
"Kellan...it was...I don't know. But it felt like somebody stabbed me in the throat. I couldn't..."  
  
"It's okay, Tara. You're okay."  
  
"I know how to help her. I don't know why I didn't think of it before," Tara said, a little wonder in her voice. She let Angel help her up. "I think he knew. Kellan. That's why he did that to me."  
  
"Then we need to get back inside. What if he tries it again?"  
  
"I don't...I don't think he can. And it was weird. I felt like I couldn't breathe at all, but plenty of oxygen was going into my lungs. It was like...an illusion."  
  
"An illusion? So you just felt like you couldn't breathe? But you could?"  
  
"Yeah. I don't...I wonder if Kellan actually has any power? I mean, he obviously does, but is it stronger than mine, or Willow's?" They were walking back into the cave, Angel supporting Tara a little. "A lot of his magic so far has been weak, or illusions."  
  
"So he's not that powerful. Which means we can beat him."  
  
"If I can establish a link with Willow. She's had the power for a while, to use telepathy. I don't know if I'm strong enough to do it, though."  
  
"Wesley has some power. Maybe if you did it together," Angel suggested, "you might be able to."  
  
"Giles knows some magic, too," Tara said. "Even Anya has a little bit of power left from her days as a demon."  
  
"Then you should have more than enough power between the four of you to establish the link."  
  
"Maybe. I don't know. Willow's more powerful than all of us. I don't know if we'll be powerful enough." They walked into the part of the cave where the others were brain-storming to find a way into the bubble.  
  
"Tara," Dawn said, jumping up. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm okay, Dawnie. Kellan did something to me. But I'm okay now. And I have a plan."  
  
*~*~*  
  
"You bastard," Willow said, tears cascading down her face. She'd been wrong. Tara's body, dying in front of her...there was no way that could be an illusion. It was far too real. Her decision had killed her lover.   
  
"I told you, Witch. Your lover, or the Savior. You chose the Savior, and your lover died for your choice. You'll live the rest of your days with that regret."  
  
"I'm still not going to help you," Willow said, venom in her words.  
  
"Oh?" Kellan replied, one eyebrow raised. A flash of his hand, and Xander was standing, tied, gagged, and possibly drugged, because he looked very calm. But that was Xander. When the chips were down, he was braver than any of them.  
  
"Xander?" she asked. The vampire that had killed Tara stepped forward.  
  
"Make the correct choice this time, or your friend will die."  
  
Willow looked at Xander for a moment. Her lifelong friend. She'd known him since before she could remember. Growing up side by side, the best of friends. He knew all her secrets, and she knew all his. Would she be able to sacrifice him to save the world?  
  
"Keep in mind, that even if you choose not to save your friend, I won't stop with him. All your friends are gathered in the cave, waiting for me to pluck them out, one by one, to try to persuade you. Either you perform my ritual, or you watch all your friends die. And then, once the Key, the Chosen, the Champion, and the Twice Called are dead, you won't be able to do your ritual anyway. Either way, I will win. Why let your friends die for no reason?" Kellan smiled mirthlessly at her. "You just take your time thinking about it. I've got all the time in the world.  
  
Willow did think about it. What could she do? How could she save her friends and the world? If she saved her friends, the world would end. If she didn't, it would still end, but they would have died before her eyes. Which was the right choice?  
  
Willow? Tara? Was that Tara? In her head? 


	19. Big Gun

Tara?   
Willow, listen to me. Are you all right?   
Tara! You're alive! You're okay!   
Of course I am. Why, what happened?   
He, he killed you...right in front of me...   
Well, I haven't seen you since you disappeared, so it must have been another illusion. Kellan's not that strong. Most of his magicks are glamours and illusions.   
So he doesn't have any real power? This could cinch it. If Kellan had no power...   
Yes, he does. But it's not as strong as he's trying to make you think it is.   
Oh. Well, that's not too bad. Thanks, Tara. I love you.   
I love you too, Will. Be strong. I have to go. We're not strong enough to keep this up for long.   
I understand. Love you. And Tara's voice in her mind was gone.   
"So, Witch?" Kellan said, impatient. "Have you made your decision yet?"   
"Yes, I have," Willow replied, no emotion in her voice.   
*~*~*   
Tara swooned, and was caught by strong arms. She looked up at Buffy gratefully, then looked around at the others in the cave.   
"Did it work?" Gunn asked from his corner.   
"Yeah. I told her. About the illusions," Tara said, a little weak from the exertion.   
"Good. Then it's up to her to get out of the, er, forcefield." Giles said, polishing his glasses.   
"Is she okay?" Dawn asked.   
"She's okay, Dawnie. A little bit freaked out, but I think she's calmer now. Kellan...showed her an illusion of me dying at his hand." Rage flashed in the normally gentle woman's eyes.   
"Bastard," Cordy muttered under her breath. She looked over at Spike and Faith, who were still sitting on the ground, Spike gently running a hand through Faith's hair. She stopped for a moment, looking around in confusion.   
"Um...is everything all right, Cordelia?" Wesley asked her, stepping forward.   
"There...remember, just before Tara went all suffocation-girl on us..."   
"Of course. We were about to be attacked by vampires. They were coming from everywhere," Gunn piped up.   
"And no one noticed the vampires disappear? Where did they go?" Buffy said skeptically.   
"Buffy?" Dawn suddenly asked. "Did you get cramps when they showed up before?"   
"What?" Buffy cried, flushing.   
"I think she means your, uh, Spidey-sense," Xander said helpfully.   
"Oh. Right. That's strange. No, I didn't. You'd think, with a huge group of vampires, I'd feel them, or something."   
"Another illusion," Giles said. "He must have had to end it to show Willow the image of Tara, er, dying."   
"Right. Then...if we could distract him, he'd have to stop messing with Red?" Spike said form the ground, still stroking Faith's head. She pushed herself up woozily.   
"So how do we distract him?" she asked.   
"Amy," Anya said simply. Everyone turned to stare at her. "You know. Amy Madison. Former rat? Willow's latest transmogrify?"   
"That's...perfect," Tara said, slight awe in her voice.   
"Wait...Willow de-ratted Amy?" Cordelia said incredulously.   
"Yeah...couple weeks ago," Spike said. "Anyone got a cell phone so's we can call her?"   
Angel pulled his out of his duster and held it up. Tara took it and dialed the number by memory.   
"Amy? Listen...we need your help. It's Willow...and it's serious. Can you come to the old caves out of town? Okay, great. Hurry. It's really important. I'll send someone out to meet you." Tara hung up the phone and handed it back to Angel. "Xander?" she said, turning on the dark-haired young man.   
"I'll go," he said, heading out of the cave. 


	20. Cracked

"So what's the deal?" Amy asked, stepping toward Xander. He looked at her gravely. "That bad, huh?"  
  
"Yeah. Want the Reader's Digest Condensed Version?" he said, leading her into the cave.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Okay. There's a book Willow needs to save the world, and a big, scary spell guy stole it and now he's keeping her hostage in a bubble." Amy stared at him. "Seriously," he added.  
  
Amy shrugged. "All right. So what do you need me for?"  
  
"You need to pop the bubble."  
  
"Ah. Sounds like fun."  
  
They made their way into the center of the cave, where everyone else was gathered.  
  
"So it's a party," Amy said, eyebrows raised.  
  
"We'll do introductions later," Buffy said, stepping forward. "Can you get into the bubble?"  
  
"I'm not sure yet. Let me take a look at it." Amy moved to the ledge, and with Buffy's help, stood next to the rather large force field. She walked around it, looking. "Feels strong."  
  
"Don't touch it," Faith said from her vantage point, still leaning slightly on Spike for support.  
  
"It packs a mighty wallop," Spike added, looking at Faith affectionately. Dawn rolled her eyes at the couple.  
  
"I think I can do this," Amy finally said after a moment. "But it might take some time."  
  
"We don't have a lot of time," Angel said, looking around. "They've been in there a while."  
  
"Then I'm going to need some help. Tara?"  
  
"What do you need?"  
  
"We have to do a counter-spell. Mostly, it just involves a lot of chanting, but there has to be some power behind it. I'm strong, but maybe not strong enough."  
  
"Wesley, Anya and I have some power as well, Amy. We've all had experience with magic," Giles said, moving toward the bubble.  
  
"That's good. You're going to need it. But Tara's the most important." When everyone looked at her in question, she explained. "Tara's power is rooted in her heart. She's an Earth witch, while Willow's a Fire witch. Myself, I'm Air. The spell has to draw from Tara's power, both because of where her power is seated, and because of her relationship with Willow."  
  
"Then let's do it," Tara said, slight worry in her voice. "We have to get her out."  
  
"You're right. Okay, then, let's get ready."  
  
*~*~*  
  
"So let's hear it then, Witch," Kellan said, smiling triumphantly.  
  
Willow looked him dead in the eye, taking a deep breath. "The way I see it," she started, "I have more than just the two choices. I can agree to help you, destroying the world I've chosen to protect for over six years. I can refuse, and have you end the life I've lived for 20 years, and destroy the friends I've got counting on me. But there's something else." Stall, Willow...stall him. Tara's voice, faint in her mind. "I didn't think of it before, but I should have. I have a third option."  
  
Kellan laughed. "Do you, now. Please, enlighten me."  
  
"I think I will. You're obviously powerful. And you say you're more powerful than I am. But I think maybe not. I think I'm more powerful than you are. I have powers inside me that haven't been unleashed yet, because I haven't tried. I've always used my power for good. I've always been good. I bet, if I embraced the darker side of magic, Black Magic, I could have more power than you've ever dreamed of having."  
  
"Which is what I'm asking you to do," Kellan pointed out helpfully.  
  
"Yes. But I'm thinking, what if I used my darker powers to kill you? Right here and now?"  
  
"You really think you could?" Kellan scoffed.  
  
"Well, I've never actually killed someone with my magic. Why don't we test it out?"  
  
*~*~*  
  
"Earth and Wind, Fire and Water, hear our humble call. Take our power and use your will to make the barrier fall. Earth and Wind, Fire and Water, we beseech your command. Smite it down, break the wall, here by my true hand!" Amy's, Tara's, Wesley's, Anya's, and Giles' voices rang out in tandem, rising in volume as air rushed through the cave. On the last word, Amy reached out and put her palm down against the barrier holding Willow and Kellan. A flash of light burst forth, sending blue veins through the force-field. They snaked throughout it, glowing brightly, the intensity of the light growing to a blinding proportion, before all five people were thrown back as the barrier exploded, then dissipated.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Now! Tara's voice cried in Willow's mind, and she shot a bolt of light straight at Kellan. 


	21. Binding

Tara watched as the bubble burst, then Willow's hand shot up and her palm pointed at Kellan. A bolt of lightning shot from her palm and hit a disoriented Kellan directly in the chest. He flew back, slamming into the cave wall behind him.   
  
"Willow!" she cried, but Willow didn't react. She stepped forward and pointed both palms at Kellan  
  
"You want darkness?" she asked him coldly. "I'll give you darkness." Kellan's eyes widened as he began to float into the air, powered by Willow's magic. Once he was raised a sufficient height, she let him drop, and he crumpled to the ground.  
  
"What has been blinded, now shall see, Let this chant end trickery!" Willow spoke quickly, and suddenly, Kellan began to shrivel. His hair, once a light brown, began to fade to snow white. His skin loosened, wrinkles appearing all over. Age spots appeared over his arms and hands, and he shrunk a few inches. The group looked at him in awe.  
  
"He's...old," Buffy said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"No!!" Kellan screamed, looking at his arthritically clawed hands in horror, then looking wildly around the cave for an escape. "No! You weren't supposed to...you were supposed to help me!" he wailed.  
  
"What can I say?" Willow said, her voice still cold and distant. "I'm a rebel."  
  
"You know, Luv," Spike suddenly piped up, smirking at Faith. "I'm feeling a little antsy."  
  
"Me too, Spike. What say we take the old man out and teach him some manners?"  
  
"I knew there was a reason I loved you."  
  
"And don't you forget it," she told him, raising an eyebrow. They turned on Kellan, grinning. He jumped up and began to run from the cave in terror.  
  
He didn't get very far, though. Amy put up a hand, and he was suddenly rooted to the spot, unable to escape. "We'll deal with him later," she explained. Buffy nodded, then turned to Willow, who was now embracing Tara tightly.  
  
"Are you okay, Honey?" Tara asked her, looking deeply into her eyes. Willow took a deep breath and nodded.  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"Will?" Buffy said. "You'd better find the binding spell now, before something else happens."  
  
"Right," she said, moving over to the book. She looked at the cover, and noticed that there was a small indentation on it. She shrugged and placed her thumb in it, finding that it was the exact size of her finger, and when she removed her hand, her thumbprint glowed in the old leather. Suddenly, the book's cover flew open, and she began to thumb through the pages.  
  
"Here it is!" she cried triumphantly.  
  
"You've found it?" Giles asked, stepping forward.  
  
"Yeah. It looks fairly simple. 'The Binding of the Souls.' I don't even need any ingredients. Just a Power Circle."  
  
"More teamwork?" Gunn asked.  
  
"Yeah. Okay. I need Buffy, Faith, Dawn and Angel to stand in a small square, holding hands." The four of them looked at each other dubiously. Then moved to do as Willow instructed. "And everyone else, you need to stand in a circle around them. Um...Amy. Hi."  
  
"Hi," Amy said.  
  
"Right. Um, Amy, stand in the North position. Tara, in the West. I'll be the East, and Giles, can you be the South?"  
  
"Right," Giles answered. Gunn, Cordelia, Wesley, Anya, Xander and Spike completed the circle.  
  
"Okay. Everyone join hands and concentrate on my words." They did as they were told.  
  
"Spirits of the Outer Realms, I call on Thee. Since their birth, these souls have been free. Lost for years, the Four are found. Take their essence, make them bound. Let them be bound." Willow's voice rose as she repeated herself over and over, until a great wind was blowing through the cave, whipping the group's hair and clothing around wildly.   
  
Suddenly, the group surrounding Buffy, Faith, Dawn and Angel were thrown back, and bright lights began to burst forth from the chests of the four still standing. Each was a different color. Buffy's was yellow, Angel's purple, Faith's red, and Dawn's light blue. They rose up and formed one large ball of white light, which grew brighter and brighter. Suddenly, the ball exploded in a shower of white sparks, sending the four flying in opposite directions. The entire group looked around in amazement, everyone sitting sprawled on the floor of the cave.  
  
"Intense," Faith finally said, rubbing at her chest. Spike moved forward to her.   
  
"You all right, Luv?"  
  
"Well, I landed on my ass. Wanna kiss it?" she griped at him, and he just smiled back at her happily, and leaned forward to kiss her.  
  
Willow blinked. She'd done it. It was over.  
  
"Good job, Will," Tara said, moving to her side, touching her arm lightly.  
  
"Yeah!" cried Xander. "Way to go Willow! You saved the world!"  
  
"I-I did? I guess I did, didn't I? W-well, yay me," she said faintly.  
  
"We beat the bad guy, did the spell, saved the world. We deserve cookies," Buffy said, standing up. She pulled Dawn up, then Angel. They all looked around.  
  
"So," Willow said, looking at Amy. "When did you get here?" 


	22. Epilogue - The Vessel

Buffy stretched, sitting back comfortably in her chair. She was sitting with Willow, Tara, Giles, and Xander, nearly three weeks after the binding spell was performed in the cave.  
  
"We're getting absolutely nowhere," Willow pouted, slamming her book closed.  
  
"Yeah. How are we supposed to know who this Vessel is?"  
  
"We must learn all that we can about the Vessel, so that we can spot it if it comes our way. By all accounts, it seems that she will be a human, but also ancient," Giles announced, polishing his glasses.  
  
"Women can't have babies after like, fifty. How is she supposed to be ancient?" Buffy said.  
  
"I'm not really sure, Buffy."  
  
"And so far we haven't found anything else that might tell us who or where the Vessel is. All we know is that she's human, and really old, and that we have to protect her and her baby. But we can't do that until we find her, which we don't know how to do!" Buffy continued.  
  
Xander stood, moving to the counter to get himself a drink. "There's got to be something we're missing. Whoever she is, she's probably close to Sunnydale. I mean, the Powers That Be don't hate us THAT much, that they'd have her somewhere else on the planet if we're supposed to protect her."  
  
"Xander's quite right. The Vessel must be an inhabitant of Sunnydale, or at least Los Angeles. Things tend to work out that way around the Hellmouth," Giles said.  
  
"But we still don't know how to find her."  
  
Suddenly, Anya burst through the shop door, a huge grin on her face.  
  
"Hey, An, why so happy?" Xander asked, looking at his finacee lovingly.  
  
"I'm pregnant!" she cried happily. A huge thud came from the floor, and Buffy, Giles, Willow, Tara, and Anya looked at where Xander lay, having fainted. 


End file.
